NND costs in 6e

[Penthau]

I was rewriting some old VIPER weapons from 5e to 6e and came across one gun that was an NND with the defense of force field with ED. When I went to the charts, it would be one step down on the rarity list (+1/2), then -1/2 for being an NND. That would have made a 9d6 blast into a 9d6 NND with the same active point cost, fitting into the same multipower. It seemed like 9d6 would be a pretty brutal NND against anyone who didn't have a force field. I bumped the advantage up to +1/4 because it is a little rarer than just resistant ED, but that's still 7d6 NND in a 45 pt MP slot.

 

Am I doing this right? That seems a bit much, compared to back in the day of NND being half the dice of a regular blast and still being worth it.

[Netzilla]

It is technically correct, assuming you've got the rarity of ED Force Field right for your campaign.  This is why I only use Active Points as a starting guideline when balancing powers.  For the campaign I'm currently prepping (Golden Age) the rarity would be a bit higher but even if it weren't, I'd limit the dicage on that attack for precisely the reasons you state.  After all, nothing requires that you build all powers in an MP to the MP's Active Point limit.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Its going to depend a lot on your campaign if force field-based rED is uncommon or rare.  In a superhero or sci fi game, probably not that rare so I think the +¾ works fine for something slightly less common than just resistant ED.

[BoloOfEarth]

If you just went one level down on the rarity list, then ANY resistant ED would defend against it.  Since you're defining the defense as a subset of rED (specifically, only force field-type rED), I'd say it's another step down on the list.  So, +1, then -½ for NND, making the final Advantage +½.

 

As a counterpoint, however, in the 6E Champions Powers book, there's a disintegration power (p. 52) which is an RKA with NND (defense is ED Resistant Protection defined as a force-field or the like; +½).  That seems to say that the defense is Rare (so +1 for two steps down the AVAD chart from an RKA's normally Common defense, then -½ for the NND).  This is further shown with a Sight Flash with NND (defense is ED Resistant Protection defined as a force-field or the like; +0).  That would again be a Rare defense (but only 1 step down the chart from a Sight group Flash's Uncommon defense, so +½ then -½ for NND = +0).

 

So RAW seems to say that a Blast with NND (defense is ED Resistant Protection defined as a force-field or the like) would be +1½ for 3 steps down the chart, then -½ for the NND, leaving a final +1.

 

However, I'd stand by my reasoning and make it a +½ Advantage.

[dsatow]

Here's my answer after talking with a friend on the nighty night stick:

 

Since you are making the weapon for a villain, the value of the advantage is whatever you think is fair.  Fudge the value of the limitation such that against the heroes, the limitation is fair.

 

In my game, just about everything has ED (VC).  Resistant ED (insulation) is Common.  Special effect ED is uncommon for realistic or simple magic resistant ED and rare for futuristic or major arcana resistant ED.