NCSL Defense

[g3taso]

I'm thinking of it as sort of a melee analog to Missile Deflection. Someone hits me, they penalize their OCV. I like keeping it more of a defensive effect by not putting a range on it. I like the Explosion centered on me (and I am immune). I realize I could do something quite similar with Suppress (or Drain, Cantriped). I've got this marked for CON, but I imagine it could be OCV or DCV if they count as powers or characteristics.

 

Suppress CON 4d6 (standard effect: 12 points), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Explosion (+1/2), Selective Target (+1/4) (40 Active Points); No Range (-1/2)

[Hyper-Man]

What is the special effect of the ability?

 

HM

[g3taso]

A burst of force lightning erupting from me.

[mrinku]

No you misunderstand.

Change Environment is one of the "Catch-All Powers" and can have significant combat effects. What it cannot have are significant combat effects which replace existing powers or beneficial effects. So you can use Change Environment to impose enormous penalties to any given Success Roll (such as penalties to PER Rolls defined as shade), but you cannot use it to grant even the most minor bonuses (such as a bonus to PER Rolls defined as light), or simulate other powers (such as a Killing Attack or Drain/Suppress). 

 

Yeah - I was still thinking 4e, where this was indeed the case. I've just had a close read of the CC entry and now understand. However Change Environment doesn't sound much like what the OP actually wants anyway... I think some kind of Damage Shield is probably what he REALLY wants. Then there's no convoluted trigger set ups. I'd probably throw in a limiter to prevent the effect happening when the character struck someone else, since this is meant to be a retaliation effect. I figure that to be worth about -1/2 to lose that perk while also allowing him to touch friends safely. 

 

With 6e: 2d6 OCV Drain (20pts) AE (Surface, self, +1/4), Constant (+1/2), Costs Endurance only to activate (+1/4), (40pts Active) No Range (-1/2), Only if struck by another (-1/2) (20 pts Real)

 

That would reliably drain 1 OCV every time you were hit, and be close to -3 every second blow. Drains normally recover at 5 points per Turn, which is only one point of OCV.

 

You COULD make it Selective, but that's only going to matter if someone hits you who you don't want to affect. Doubt that's worth the points, myself.

 

No Idea how 5e does damage shields. I'm sure someone will build one.

[Cantriped]

Damage Shield changed some, but not much really.

Damage Shield is a pretty good idea, and the big downside to using a Damage Shield instead of a Trigger activation is that Damage Shields only react to melee attacks. Being hit by an enemies' Blast isn't going to set off the Power in a way that penalizes them.

 

I'm thinking of it as sort of a melee analog to Missile Deflection. Someone hits me, they penalize their OCV. I like keeping it more of a defensive effect by not putting a range on it. I like the Explosion centered on me (and I am immune). I realize I could do something quite similar with Suppress (or Drain, Cantriped). I've got this marked for CON, but I imagine it could be OCV or DCV if they count as powers or characteristics.

 

Suppress CON 4d6 (standard effect: 12 points), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Explosion (+1/2), Selective Target (+1/4) (40 Active Points); No Range (-1/2)

Yeah this power will affect everyone you designate (and can hit with your Force-Lightning when they enter the area), and generally reduce their OCV/DCV by 2. You could make this power Zero END and Persistent, and just maintain it all the time as a kind of "reactive defense". If ever your character is attacked by somebody you haven't already pinged with the effect, you can simply Abort to reactivate the power and hit them with the penalty before they've even thrown their first Attack Roll. 

 

Although I still have concerns that simply buying levels of DCV with Usable Simultaneously would be more cost effective.

[mrinku]

Damage Shield changed some, but not much really.

Damage Shield is a pretty good idea, and the big downside to using a Damage Shield instead of a Trigger activation is that Damage Shields only react to melee attacks. Being hit by an enemies' Blast isn't going to set off the Power in a way that penalizes them.

 

 

That's a fair call, although as originally framed you'd have to have been using a ranged attack at close range for there to be any distinction

 

As an actual defence, this idea is more of a side effect, really. It won't affect ranged attacks from further away (once the explosion effect reduces it enough), it won't have any practical protection against an opponent that grabs you (sure their OCV will be drained, but they've already grabbed you and now it's down to STR...) or against most area effect attacks (including itself, if you run into another character with the same power).

 

But I'm sure the OP realises all this.

[Hugh Neilson]

Change Environment 1" radius, -4 OCV, Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Selective Target (+1/2), Explosion (+1/2) (50 Active Points); No Range (-1/2)

I do not understand what you thin Explosion here. A 5e Explosion has full effect at the target hex, and loses 1 DC for every hex further away from that target hex. Your explosion would lose 1 DC to hit someone striking you in HTH combat, as he is one hex away from you, then keep losing as it moves further out against a ranged attacker.

 

Using Force Lightning as you describe, I would suggest the ability you spell out above will work as follows:

 

- you activate it (you dropped the Trigger in this build) for 5 END;

- you select everyone you wish to target, up to three hexes away from you (why 3, not 4? see below);

- you roll to hit (your OCV vs their DCV) each selected target;

- For targets you hit, an adjacent target (who is 1 hex away from you) is penalized -3 OCV; a target two hexes away is penalized -2 OCV and a target three hexes out is penalized -1 OCV. Only a target in the center hex (your hex) will be penalized -4 OCV.

 

As others have noted, CE does not stack.

 

I don't think you need Personal Immunity as you will never target yourself, but you seem to cling to that modifier, The better modifier, IMO, is to add "hole in the middle" to the explosion so that it does not target your hex at all - that would get the -4 OCV penalty to an adjacent target, declining by one for each hex further out.

 

Note that the CE itself is not mobile, so that adjacent guy can move 5 hexes away and no longer be penalized. [6e fixed that too, BTW, making CE single target by default...]

[Hugh Neilson]

That's no fix at all for those still playing 5e or 5er.

 

 

Oh no, not another Change Environment (read: golden hammer -- where everything looks like a nail) approach!

When your toolbox lacks the appropriate tools (like the ability to Drain OCV directly, or buy a single target CE), then you try to do the job as best you can with the tools you have (the bizarre builds above) or you get tools more suitable to the job, (switch to 6e, or import the aspects of 6e that will facilitate the build - nothing wrong with a 5e game allowing adjustment powers to affect OCV and/or DCV based on costs of 5 points each and DCV being a "defensive power", or allowing the CE penalty to apply to characters in the area when the Lightning is triggered, and stay with them rather than being a penalty that alters as people enter or leave the area).

[indy523]

It occurred to me that Negative Combat Skill Levels could be a great defensive power. I have two basic versions I'm exploring.

 

 

 

It seems to me that drains and change environment do not do what you want which is make it harder for one character affected by the power to hit you without affecting their ability to hit others.  Put the whammy on them I guess.  The first question I have for you is, does this affect all attacks including mental attacks.  For sake of argument let's say yes since yo can edit out the point costs.

 

The book has two methods for Don't Hit Me (sorry I have 6e)  DCV characteristic for 5 points and DNCV for 3 points.  The other method is combat skill levels for all attacks 10 points for normal and 6 points for mental.  So 8 or 16 depending on if the GM will allow stats bought with limitations you could by the combat skill level with a -1L (only to increase DCV/DMCv) to reduce the 16 to 8 or you can use full cost and assume the whammy makes it easier to hit him and too damage the target as well.

 

You have to purchase a limitation for only one target at a time which I would give only -1/4L since you can use the power on the next target or buy the power AEF with selective or with Autofire advantageous to get more. You also need to hit a target so buy it RSR attack roll vs targets defense to affect them -1/2L. I assume we can forgive the -1 per 10 points since it is vs a targets defenses for simplicities sake.

 

If you want you can use trigger to make it automatic but either way I think you have to buy the power as constant however I assume skill levels or stats are by their nature constant.  Me I'd use continuing charges, one turn should be enough.  This gives you 8 charges for a +0A and 4 clips of 8 for +1/4A

 

This simulates an attack power that affects one target's ability to attack you in combat.  Make your attack and for one turn the target must effectively subtract one to hit you.

 

For -1 is 16 points base, charges +1/4A for 20 AP.

Limited by Defensive only -1L, RSR -1/2L one target only -1/4L for 7 real points. 4 clips of 8 charges.

 

For extra flavor buy this ACV OMCV instead of OCV and LOS range to make it an effect of your character playing with their minds.

[g3taso]

I'm in 5e, but I'll ask my other buddies.