Covered in Writhing Serpents

[Alcibiades]

Hi all,

 

How would you do this? I'm building a character (a classical Fury, actually) who has snakes writhing over her body, through her hair, coiling around her limbs, and so on. She can throw them as well.

 

So far, I've built this as

 

Entwined with Swarming Snakes

1) A Hundred Horned Snakes Erect Shaded Her Face:  Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Sight Group

2) Black Snakes Hanging in Their Hair:  +2 PER with all Sense Groups

3) Never Any Wound to See...:  Killing Attack - Ranged 1 point, Invisible Power Effects (Inobvious to Touch Sense Group; +1/4), Penetrating (+1/2)

4) The Fateful Fangs Affect Their Minds:  Drain EGO, INT, and PRE 1d6, Damage Over Time, Lock out (cannot be applied multiple times) (6 damage increments, damage occurs every 5 Minutes, +0), Expanded Effect (x3 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +2 1/4) (42 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), 4 Charges (-1), Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Life Support: Immunity [Ophidotoxins]; All Or Nothing; -1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (RKA Must Do BODY; -1/2), Limited Range (10m; -1/4)

 

(Maybe add in a Damage Shield as well?)

 

This is cheap, but it doesn't really give the full effect. They're stuck on her; if she throws one, it just bites once and then vanishes; etc,

 

The most accurate way to simulate this, I think, would probably be Duplication or Summon, with Mind Links for all the serpents. But, without having yet done the math, I suspect that this is going to be really, really expensive.

 

Does any of you Hero System wizards have any ideas?

 

Thank you!

 

EDIT: while I'm at it, how do I make an attack invisible, but the wound it leaves invisible? That's the effect I want for the bites, but HD isn't giving me an option.

[Hugh Neilson]

That Penetrating ruling is negated in my game. With 1 point RKA, I'd let you roll a d6 - on a 6, the BOD is penetrating. Increasing to 1/2d6 should not reduce the penetration potential. But I'm departing from Steve's interpretation and you're applying it. I assume PC's can also make a 1 pip KA Penetrating and get a -1/2 limitation on other attack powers if they work only if that KA does BOD.

 

IPE, page 339 of 6e V1, discusses making the target effect of a power invisible. Making it inobvious to both observers and the target would be a further +1/2 (full invisibility would be +1). Given the Fateful Fangs didn't pay for IPE, everyone should see that effect anyway, though. As to why HD does not have this option, I use Excel and the rule books, not HD, so I can't help on that.

 

Maybe it bites once and then slithers back (maybe the bite should have Physical Manifestation). If you want the snake to stick around, Constant on slots 3 and 4 could be used. If you want a snake that has its own stats and sticks around, that sounds like Summon, or a bunch of Snake Followers, to me.

[Alcibiades]

The IPE issue is that I can see how to make the attack itself invisible, but not the effects.

 

You can see it just fine, you can feel it just fine, but it leaves no visible wound.

 

In the classical literature, the Furies are generally depicted with snakes, the venom of which causes not death but madness, coiling around their bodies, and occasionally they hurl them at their victims, hey seem capable of independent action. That's the effect I'm going for,

 

Oh, with the important twist that the character is a fury as an alternate ID, so the snakes appear when the character changes. Which I suppose would be Duplication or Summon, Linked with the transformation power.

[Christopher R Taylor]

"We prefer snuggly"

-the serpents

[dsatow]

I have a villain called Ragdoll which is a mutant with effectively giant maggots/lampreys for a body.  Her powers are fairly similar to the snakes.  She's been used in several campaigns.

 

She has at one time or another 

• Stretching
• martial grabs and escape
• extra limbs with varied special effects (basically she can form 1 to 1000 "extra limbs")
• clinging
• TK (defined as separated worms doing something like constricting a hero)
• clairsentience (defined as sending a worm someplace to spy on people)

[Grailknight]

Great concept but you are overthinking it, most of this is just SFX. 

 

If the purpose is the madness attack and not BODY damage, why is the HKA necessary at all? Let mystical snakes have mystical bites that don't leave a physical wound.

 

It really doesn't need IPE because you see the attack and can have it manifest for each damage tic. 

[Lucius]

I'm assuming the context is 6th edition. Correct me if I'm wrong about that

 

Hi all,

 

How would you do this? I'm building a character (a classical Fury, actually) who has snakes writhing over her body, through her hair, coiling around her limbs, and so on. She can throw them as well.

 

So far, I've built this as

 

Entwined with Swarming Snakes

1) A Hundred Horned Snakes Erect Shaded Her Face:  Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Sight Group

2) Black Snakes Hanging in Their Hair:  +2 PER with all Sense Groups

3) Never Any Wound to See...:  Killing Attack - Ranged 1 point, Invisible Power Effects (Inobvious to Touch Sense Group; +1/4), Penetrating (+1/2)

How about "Never a physical wound, period?" Why bother with the little physical bite, skip straight to the madness. Speaking of which...

 

4) The Fateful Fangs Affect Their Minds:  Drain EGO, INT, and PRE 1d6, Damage Over Time, Lock out (cannot be applied multiple times) (6 damage increments, damage occurs every 5 Minutes, +0), Expanded Effect (x3 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +2 1/4) (42 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), 4 Charges (-1), Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Life Support: Immunity [Ophidotoxins]; All Or Nothing; -1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (RKA Must Do BODY; -1/2), Limited Range (10m; -1/4)

 

(Maybe add in a Damage Shield as well?)

The Fury's target will recover gradually from the madness over a few days, which you may or may not want. Mental Transform can cause a longer-term insanity. This certainly works though. Are you sure you really want it on Charges? This limits you to four attacks per day.

 

This is cheap, but it doesn't really give the full effect. They're stuck on her; if she throws one, it just bites once and then vanishes; etc,

 

The most accurate way to simulate this, I think, would probably

NOT!!

be Duplication or Summon, with Mind Links for all the serpents. But, without having yet done the math, I suspect that this is going to be really, really expensive.

In fact, what you describe is a pure and simple straight up attack. "I throw a snake" is special effect. If you want to throw a snake more than ten meters just remove the "Limited Range" Limitation from "Fateful Fangs."

 

 

The IPE issue is that I can see how to make the attack itself invisible, but not the effects.

 

You can see it just fine, you can feel it just fine, but it leaves no visible wound.

 

In the classical literature, the Furies are generally depicted with snakes, the venom of which causes not death but madness, coiling around their bodies, and occasionally they hurl them at their victims, hey seem capable of independent action. That's the effect I'm going for,

 

Oh, with the important twist that the character is a fury as an alternate ID, so the snakes appear when the character changes. Which I suppose would be Duplication or Summon, Linked with the transformation power.

No, it would just mean putting "Only in Alternate ID" on the relevant powers.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindomedary notes a contradiction between "They're stuck on her; if she throws one, it just bites once and then vanishes" and "occasionally they hurl them at their victims, hey seem capable of independent action." and asks for clarification.

[Alcibiades]

I'm assuming the context is 6th edition. Correct me if I'm wrong about that

 

 

How about "Never a physical wound, period?" Why bother with the little physical bite, skip straight to the madness. Speaking of which...

 

 

The Fury's target will recover gradually from the madness over a few days, which you may or may not want. Mental Transform can cause a longer-term insanity. This certainly works though. Are you sure you really want it on Charges? This limits you to four attacks per day.

 

NOT!!

In fact, what you describe is a pure and simple straight up attack. "I throw a snake" is special effect. If you want to throw a snake more than ten meters just remove the "Limited Range" Limitation from "Fateful Fangs."

 

 

 

No, it would just mean putting "Only in Alternate ID" on the relevant powers.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindomedary notes a contradiction between "They're stuck on her; if she throws one, it just bites once and then vanishes" and "occasionally they hurl them at their victims, hey seem capable of independent action." and asks for clarification.

 

I don't know how to break up quotes, sorry.

 

The contradiction is a typo.   Should be "it DOESN'T just bite once and then vanish."

 

Just as a personal thing, I try to avoid OIAID for things like lycanthropes and so on, since it seems more logical to do it as a Link to a Shape Shift or suchlike.

 

I'm using Charges simply because I copied a poisonous snake template from the Bestiary, replacing RKA with the mind-blasting Drain, and that's what they have. The same goes for the Drain linked to HKA, only if HKA does Body; this seems to be the standard approach that Steve Long uses. Instead I could, I suppose, just take the drain and make it NND (Immunity Ophidotoxins or having armor too thick to bite through).

 

I want the target to be able to recover in a relatively short while simply as a game-balance issue: this is quite a powerful attack. And I'm trying to keep things under a 60 point AP limit.

 

The hurled snake should be hanging around being a snake even after being hurled, hence I don't see it as just a ranged attack.

 

What I'm going with for the time being is as follows. She has the benefits of the snakes being physically located on her, and she can also release one to do her bidding (or she could hurl it). I made the snakebits into a Damage Shield, meaning she has to grab someone to use it offensively.

 

What do you think? (Ignore the Restrainable limitation; that's not relevant to the power itself. And the IPE stuff, because I'm still not sure how I should do this.)

 

Entwined with Swarming Serpents, all slots Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

 

4 +3 PER with all Sense Groups (9 Active Points); Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; -1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

 

7 Never Any Wound to See...:  (Total: 17 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 point, Area Of Effect (Damage Shield) (1m Surface; +1/4), Penetrating (+1/2), Constant (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Invisible Power Effects (Invisible to Touch Sense Group, effects of Power are Inobvious to target; +3/4) (17 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-1/2), Requires an HTH Roll (Attack roll; -1/2), Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -1/4), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4) (Real Cost: 6)

 

10 The Fateful Fangs Affect Their Minds:  Drain EGO, INT, and PRE 1d6, Damage Over Time, Lock out (cannot be applied multiple times) (6 damage increments, damage occurs every 5 Minutes, +0), Area Of Effect (Damage Shield) (1m Surface; +1/4), Constant (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Expanded Effect (x3 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +2 1/4) (55 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Life Support: Immunity [Ophidotoxins]; All Or Nothing; -1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (HKA Must Do BODY; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Attack roll; -1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -0), Linked (Never Any Wound to See...; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; -0)

 

7 Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Normal Sight and Smell/Taste Group (15 Active Points); Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; -1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

 

7 Summon 28-point Serpent, Persistent (+1/4), Loyal (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (13 Active Points); Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; Lesser Instant Power can be used in any Phase in which greater Constant Power is in use; -1/4), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

 

5 Targeting with Normal Smell (10 Active Points); Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; -1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

[steriaca]

I like the "special effect" route of things.

 

Coils of Serpents Wrap Around: Entangle.

 

A Serpent's Reach: Streching and Extra Limbs.

[Hugh Neilson]

I'm using Charges simply because I copied a poisonous snake template from the Bestiary, replacing RKA with the mind-blasting Drain, and that's what they have. The same goes for the Drain linked to HKA, only if HKA does Body; this seems to be the standard approach that Steve Long uses. Instead I could, I suppose, just take the drain and make it NND (Immunity Ophidotoxins or having armor too thick to bite through).

If you want a snake she can throw, that will then slither around and keep trying to bite the target, I would build the snake and use Summon. The attack would be the snake’s attack, and when it has used its 4 charges, it has no more venom. The Summon should be Amicable – she does not need an EGO roll to control the snake. When its tasks run out, it slithers away.

 

She uses Summon by grabbing and throwing one of the snakes. It attacks in its next phase, after reorienting itself, having been thrown.

 

I want the target to be able to recover in a relatively short while simply as a game-balance issue: this is quite a powerful attack. And I'm trying to keep things under a 60 point AP limit.

So a very temporary madness is an acceptable compromise, but any compromise of this being a real snake that acts independently of the Fury is not. OK.

 

The hurled snake should be hanging around being a snake even after being hurled, hence I don't see it as just a ranged attack.

If it were built by putting Physical Manifestation on the attack, Constant and Uncontrolled, limited that the attack must roll to hit each phase, with 0 END on the followup attacks, and ending after four hits (or four attempts), how would that be markedly different, in play, from a snake that can attempt to poison the target 4 times? After running out those charges, the snake won’t be having much impact.

 

What I'm going with for the time being is as follows. She has the benefits of the snakes being physically located on her, and she can also release one to do her bidding (or she could hurl it). I made the snakebits into a Damage Shield, meaning she has to grab someone to use it offensively.

 

What do you think? (Ignore the Restrainable limitation; that's not relevant to the power itself. And the IPE stuff, because I'm still not sure how I should do this.)

 

Entwined with Swarming Serpents, all slots Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

I’m unclear what restrains the snakes.

 

4 +3 PER with all Sense Groups (9 Active Points); Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; -1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

I assume Incarnation of the Fury is her shapeshift, however I agree with the other posters that no one else pays points to look different. If the Links to that power save the points it costs, it seems like a high effort net wash to me. If it results in a net point cost, it seems they are wasted points. If it causes a net savings better than OIAID, it feels like point whoring.

 

7 Never Any Wound to See...: (Total: 17 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 point, Area Of Effect (Damage Shield) (1m Surface; +1/4), Penetrating (+1/2), Constant (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Invisible Power Effects (Invisible to Touch Sense Group, effects of Power are Inobvious to target; +3/4) (17 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-1/2), Requires an HTH Roll (Attack roll; -1/2), Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -1/4), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4) (Real Cost: 6)

OK, she Grabs, dozens of snakes swarm over the target, but only one of them manages to inflict a bite attack.

 

10 The Fateful Fangs Affect Their Minds: Drain EGO, INT, and PRE 1d6, Damage Over Time, Lock out (cannot be applied multiple times) (6 damage increments, damage occurs every 5 Minutes, +0), Area Of Effect (Damage Shield) (1m Surface; +1/4), Constant (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Expanded Effect (x3 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +2 1/4) (55 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Life Support: Immunity [Ophidotoxins]; All Or Nothing; -1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (HKA Must Do BODY; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Attack roll; -1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4), Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -0), Linked (Never Any Wound to See...; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; -0)

Despite being a mystical property, mundane snake venom cures render it ineffective? That’s what the AVAD says to me, anyway.

 

I assume Extra Time – 5 Minutes means there is a 5 minute delay after the attack before it takes effect. However Damage Over Time already provides that the first damage increment occurs only after the damage increment period has passed. Given that only one DoT can be in effect at a time, there’s even less benefit to the snake hanging around.

 

How do you shut off the damage over time (a reasonably common and obvious set of circumstances must negate it)? A snakebite kit?

 

7 Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Normal Sight and Smell/Taste Group (15 Active Points); Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; -1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

 

7 Summon 28-point Serpent, Persistent (+1/4), Loyal (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (13 Active Points); Linked (Incarnation of the Fury; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; Lesser Instant Power can be used in any Phase in which greater Constant Power is in use; -1/4), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Conditional Power Power does not work in a Sanctuary (-1/4)

Summon does not need Persistent for the Summoned creature to stick around long enough to perform its tasks. That 28 points isn’t much to pay for the KA + Madness Poison, OCV, DCV, movement, defenses, etc. etc. for that Serpent. Have you written it up? Don’t forget it is Stunned on arrival, by the way.

 

Once it arrives, what will it do?

 

Also, I think the intent was that the serpents be Mind Linked, but Mind Link requires an attack action to initiate, so I don’t believe it can be Mind Linked at the time it is summoned.

 

To me, is is a "capture he effect and don't overthink it" power.

[Alcibiades]

If you want a snake she can throw, that will then slither around and keep trying to bite the target, I would build the snake and use Summon. The attack would be the snake’s attack, and when it has used its 4 charges, it has no more venom. The Summon should be Amicable – she does not need an EGO roll to control the snake. When its tasks run out, it slithers away.

 

She uses Summon by grabbing and throwing one of the snakes. It attacks in its next phase, after reorienting itself, having been thrown.

 

 

So a very temporary madness is an acceptable compromise, but any compromise of this being a real snake that acts independently of the Fury is not. OK.

 

 

If it were built by putting Physical Manifestation on the attack, Constant and Uncontrolled, limited that the attack must roll to hit each phase, with 0 END on the followup attacks, and ending after four hits (or four attempts), how would that be markedly different, in play, from a snake that can attempt to poison the target 4 times? After running out those charges, the snake won’t be having much impact.

 

 

I’m unclear what restrains the snakes.

 

 

I assume Incarnation of the Fury is her shapeshift, however I agree with the other posters that no one else pays points to look different. If the Links to that power save the points it costs, it seems like a high effort net wash to me. If it results in a net point cost, it seems they are wasted points. If it causes a net savings better than OIAID, it feels like point whoring.

 

 

OK, she Grabs, dozens of snakes swarm over the target, but only one of them manages to inflict a bite attack.

 

 

Despite being a mystical property, mundane snake venom cures render it ineffective? That’s what the AVAD says to me, anyway.

 

I assume Extra Time – 5 Minutes means there is a 5 minute delay after the attack before it takes effect. However Damage Over Time already provides that the first damage increment occurs only after the damage increment period has passed. Given that only one DoT can be in effect at a time, there’s even less benefit to the snake hanging around.

 

How do you shut off the damage over time (a reasonably common and obvious set of circumstances must negate it)? A snakebite kit?

 

 

Summon does not need Persistent for the Summoned creature to stick around long enough to perform its tasks. That 28 points isn’t much to pay for the KA + Madness Poison, OCV, DCV, movement, defenses, etc. etc. for that Serpent. Have you written it up? Don’t forget it is Stunned on arrival, by the way.

 

Once it arrives, what will it do?

 

Also, I think the intent was that the serpents be Mind Linked, but Mind Link requires an attack action to initiate, so I don’t believe it can be Mind Linked at the time it is summoned.

 

To me, is is a "capture he effect and don't overthink it" power.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

"any compromise of this being a real snake that acts independently of the Fury is not. OK." No, such compromises are perfectly fine.

 

Many of the issues here -- "reasonably common thing that can turn it off" and Extra Time -- are because this is how poisonous snakes are written up in the Bestiary. I simply took the writeup for venom and replaced RKA with Drain. Are these writeups violating RAW?

 

I could get many attacks in the Damage Shield to represent the many serpents, but it would have no effect, since the venom cannot be applied multiple times.

 

Constant and Uncontrolled won't work, as the snake can attack different targets, not just the one it originally hit. Which I don't think that allows you to do?

 

I just liked making it an ophidotoxin.

 

Anyway, I wound up with Summon one snake, Amicable, as you said, which allows her to release one of them.

 

With the Damage Shield, I wound up doing this. I assume Selective on a Damage Shield prevents it from damaging things you are carrying, friendlies who touch you, and so on.

 

The Fateful Fangs Affect Their Minds:  Drain EGO, INT, and PRE 1d6, Damage Over Time, Lock out (cannot be applied multiple times) (6 damage increments, damage occurs every 5 Minutes, +0), Area Of Effect (1m Surface; to use offensively, must grab; +1/4), Selective (+1/4), Constant (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Expanded Effect (x3 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +2 1/4) (57 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Life Support: Immunity [Ophidotoxins], being completely incapable of guilt, having armor too thick for fangs to penetrate, or rPD defined as a force field; All Or Nothing; -1), No Range (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Attack roll, -1 per 20 Active Points modifier; -1/4), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

[Hugh Neilson]

"any compromise of this being a real snake that acts independently of the Fury is not. OK." No, such compromises are perfectly fine.

Actually, any build Will have to depend on what you are, and are not, prepared to compromise. Building the attack with the SFX "she tosses a snake it him, it bites him and then slithers away" is an easier build than a serpent that has its own abilities and sticks around after that first attack, but you seemed pretty set on the snake sticking around and continuing to act.

 

Many of the issues here -- "reasonably common thing that can turn it off" and Extra Time -- are because this is how poisonous snakes are written up in the Bestiary. I simply took the writeup for venom and replaced RKA with Drain.

That definitely contributes to the problem. I can read a rattlesnake writeup, and know that its venom's effects can be halted with anti-venom, or with the cinematic trope of sucking out the poison (a paramedics roll). Do the same things turn off the Mystical Venom you envision?

 

Damage over Time is a 6e construct - I wonder whether the Extra Time did not get edited out from the old 5e model of building such effects. In any case, the rules for Extra Time and DoT increments are in the rulebooks.

 

 

I could get many attacks in the Damage Shield to represent the many serpents, but it would have no effect, since the venom cannot be applied multiple times.

That really comes back to the need for the 1 point KA. If it's only the venom, with the bite doing no appreciable damage, then it doesn't matter how many bites occur. Dropping the HKA, and perhaps making the defense some form of Impenetrable defenses, or a mystical immunity, rather than immunity to mundane snake venom, could work quite nicely. Or just let it be defended by Power Defense, and make any situation where the venom can't be delivered a limitation.

 

 

Constant and Uncontrolled won't work, as the snake can attack different targets, not just the one it originally hit. Which I don't think that allows you to do?

Now we are getting back to the need to Summon a fully statted out serpent, which means you need to write up the serpent (likely cribbed liberally from the Bestiary, but standard snake stats likely won't hit a typical Super).

 

With the Damage Shield, I wound up doing this. I assume Selective on a Damage Shield prevents it from damaging things you are carrying, friendlies who touch you, and so on.

Selective allows you to choose who the AoE attacks, with the cost of being required to roll standard rolls to hit those targets. I recall suggesting when we move to 6e that AoE and Accurate be separated, so you could have an AoE Selective attack that unerringly struck all desired targets. I normally simulate that by making the attack Selective and adding AoE Accurate to hit each target as a DCV of 3.

 

The Fateful Fangs Affect Their Minds:  Drain EGO, INT, and PRE 1d6, Damage Over Time, Lock out (cannot be applied multiple times) (6 damage increments, damage occurs every 5 Minutes, +0), Area Of Effect (1m Surface; to use offensively, must grab; +1/4), Selective (+1/4), Constant (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Expanded Effect (x3 Characteristics or Powers simultaneously) (+1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +2 1/4) (57 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Life Support: Immunity [Ophidotoxins], being completely incapable of guilt, having armor too thick for fangs to penetrate, or rPD defined as a force field; All Or Nothing; -1), No Range (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Attack roll, -1 per 20 Active Points modifier; -1/4), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

That extra Time means it take 5 minutes to turn the Damage Shield on. Is that the intent?

 

Requires a Roll generally means that the power does not work unless its user succeeds with a roll, typically a skill, at (given the writeup) -1 per 20 active points, so a skill roll at -3. I suspect that was not the intent.

 

You can double the creatures summoned for a +5 adder, so you could make her able to release more than one snake pretty easily.

 

6 damage increments in 5 minute increments means that this will not be a combat power in any case. A snake bites Hero A, and 5 minutes later he loses 1d6 INT, EGO and PRE. Assuming he does nothing to prevent further damage from accruing (back to that "reasonably common and obvious way", which would be treating the poison for a mundane snake), he loses another 1d6 5 minutes after. The effect will happen well after the end of the combat. That's the balance that lets her hit 6 times for no additional point cost.

 

 

If you want damage immediately, with more damage starting 5 minutes later, buying the attack with no DoT and Linking that to the DoT attack would get that result.

[Alcibiades]

The intent was to have the venom (which certainly is not a combat power) take 5 minutes before the first part of the damage is done. It's poison, but it drives mad with guilt, at least temporarily in this case , instead of killing (like in the classical descriptions of Furies)  Again, this is a straight "cut and paste" from the Bestiary's poisonous snake writeups, just with Drain instead of RKA.

 

Requires an HTH Roll was intended to require the Damage Shield to roll to hit, since it is, in terms of special effects, striking snakes.

 

(I should probably get Focus OIF now that I think of it, since you could, say, Telekinetically remove the snakes, or mind control them, and so on ... can foci be living things??)

[steriaca]

Can a focus be a living thing? Yes, but the "living" part is a special effect. I say it is either a OIF (it tries to return to the user when taken on its own power), or Physical Manifestation (and without Focus, for things which can not be taken away, but can be broken).

[Hugh Neilson]

"It has to attack" may be simulated as well or better by a Trigger, rather than a Damage Shield.

 

To be a valid inaccessible focus, it has to be practical to remove/disable it in a turn or so. Is that the case here? Prior versions had "restrainable" at the -1/4 level, which could work if removing, controlling, etc. the snakes will be common enough to merit the limitation.

 

You keep referring to "straight cut and paste from the bestiary" as though that makes any questions disappear. The bestiary is a suggested writeup for a natural poisonous snake. You're not building a naturally poisonous snake, but a mystical power snake. A naturally poisonous snake is no real threat in a typical Champions game anyway, so I would not use a typical rattlesnake as at credible threat in such a game.

[Alcibiades]

"It has to attack" may be simulated as well or better by a Trigger, rather than a Damage Shield.

 

To be a valid inaccessible focus, it has to be practical to remove/disable it in a turn or so. Is that the case here? Prior versions had "restrainable" at the -1/4 level, which could work if removing, controlling, etc. the snakes will be common enough to merit the limitation.

 

You keep referring to "straight cut and paste from the bestiary" as though that makes any questions disappear. The bestiary is a suggested writeup for a natural poisonous snake. You're not building a naturally poisonous snake, but a mystical power snake. A naturally poisonous snake is no real threat in a typical Champions game anyway, so I would not use a typical rattlesnake as at credible threat in such a game.

 

How would the Trigger function? That Advantage has always baffled me a little.

 

Sure, you can remove them. They're not physically attached. They'll resist though.

 

I am not saying that something being copy-pasted from the Bestiary makes questions disappear -- I'm explaining why the power is built the way it does. It's Steve Long's poison template. (Which will actually kill a typical Champions character, should the snake be able to get its fangs in.) If there's a RAW error in it, I want to know.

 

I do have a way to turn it off in mind, which is the standard classical way of getting away from Furies -- entering some kind of area devoted to a deity, i.e., a temple, church, something of that nature.

 

I get the feeling this is irritating you for some reason though, so I'll drop it.

[Hugh Neilson]

Trigger? Attack occurs under one defined condition, or related set of conditions (I would count being struck by an opponent, or grabbing an opponent, as fitting the bill). That's +1/4.

 

Activation takes no time adds +1/4. Arguably another +1/4 for "two activation conditions apply simultaneously", although I'd consider "physical contact" is a single condition.

 

Trigger resets automatically, +1/2.

 

So that's a total +1 advantage (+1 1/4 if we consider "being struck" differs from "grabbing"). Every time the condition is met, the snake attacks, and the Trigger automatically resets so it is ready to attack again.

 

An inaccessible focus is described in RAW as:

 

someone who spends 1 Turn out of combat can take an Inaccessible Focus away from a character (or otherwise deprive him of its use and benefits)

and

 

If removing a “Focus” requires surgery (or some other lengthy and difficult procedure or Skill Rolls) or causes damage to the character, then the item in question isn’t really a Focus, so the character receives no Limitation

So it comes down to how easy or difficult it is to remove the snakes. One benefit of the Trigger, as I think on it, is that it should keep resetting even if the Fury is KOd, making it risky to remove the snakes by plucking them off her body. The Constant AoE attack shuts down when the character is KOd or Stunned, and must be reactivated.

 

The shutdown condition makes sense to me. That seems at least as valid as "various counter-drugs negate", and fits well with the mystical nature of the power.

 

The rattlesnake must do BOD, and I don't believe it relies on a dodgy Penetrating loophole to allow it to do BOD to most targets. In a typical game, I would expect a -1/2 limitation to mean about 2 characters in a typical team of 5 will generally be immune to the power. In this example, that means having Impenetrable defenses. For me, I would just scrap the KA and the "-1/2 must do BOD", and probably use "impenetrable PD" instead of, or in addition to, some level of rPD on the list of NND defenses to the power. The "what can't the fangs get through" defense is tough to concisely define. A character with steel-hard skin should be immune, but a character whose rPD is defined as fast healing should not, for example. I think "not vs defenses snake fangs could not penetrate" is a reasonable defense, it just requires some on the fly adjudication.

 

Discussing the power doesn't irritate me. It's a challenging ability to model. It comes back to looking at the game elements being considered in its design, and assessing how they operate under the rules. If the rattler's DoT poison gives it Extra Time, then I would say that is a mechanical error, or at best, the first venom damage takes 10 minutes (5 minutes for DoT to start ticking and another 5 for the first damage increment), but I don't think 10 minutes rather than 5 for the first damage is limiting enough to add a -2 limitation. That's like buying a 1 hour onset time in 1 phase increments.