Focus

[Cassandra]

1 minute ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

I don't see it that mathematical.  An OAF can be disarmed, rendered useless by Grab or Entangle, etc.  It need not be unavailable for an extended period to be limiting.

 

The GM should make sure that it happens.  A limitation that doesn't happen isn't worth the points.

 

 

[Ninja-Bear]

3 hours ago, Cassandra said:

 

The GM should make sure that it happens.  A limitation that doesn't happen isn't worth the points.

 

 

I don’t see that it has to happen just as long as the possibility of it logically happens. Iow, if a Hero has an OAF weapon, then in combat, there will be an attempt to disarm it. That doesn’t mean that it should happen.

[Hugh Neilson]

I agree with Cassandra that the limitation must limit in some fashion.  It may be that the character takes special steps to avoid HTH combat for fear of Disarms - that has not limited the power, but has limited the character's actions, without removing the potential someone can disarm him by closing in, or using a ranged ability that can disarm (like Stretching).

 

If two characters have identical powers, except one pays half price due to an OAF, that price discount should carry negative consequences commensurate with the cost savings.

[steriaca]

Don't forget, it might not always be "convinant" it "logical" to carry the Focus around all the time. Especially if s/he wants to keep a secret ID.

 

Which reminds me, "OIP", Obvious Inassessable Psudofocus is a -0 limitation or a +0 advantage. It should be taken for something which "looks like a focus, quacks like a focus, but it is not a focus".

[Lucius]

Which is why it's inassessable. People assess it as a Focus but are mistaken.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

And an obvious inassessable palindromedary

[Ninja-Bear]

4 hours ago, Hugh Neilson said:

I agree with Cassandra that the limitation must limit in some fashion.  It may be that the character takes special steps to avoid HTH combat for fear of Disarms - that has not limited the power, but has limited the character's actions, without removing the potential someone can disarm him by closing in, or using a ranged ability that can disarm (like Stretching).

 

If two characters have identical powers, except one pays half price due to an OAF, that price discount should carry negative consequences commensurate with the cost savings.

And if you jump through hoops with your focus, isn’t that a hinderence? I had a shield using martial artist in a game once and tried to sneak it in a building-under a suit even. GM allowed me to try then my guy was found out. The GM explained how they noticed the shield due to it being OAF.  And the game continued on with fun.

[BoloOfEarth]

2 hours ago, steriaca said:

Which reminds me, "OIP", Obvious Inassessable Psudofocus is a -0 limitation or a +0 advantage. It should be taken for something which "looks like a focus, quacks like a focus, but it is not a focus".

 

That reminds me of Snafu, a villainess with unluck powers.  She carries a bunch of glitter-balls which she throws whenever she used her powers.  They aren't actually foci for her powers, just a distraction.

 

Or Johnny Reb, who likes to dress as a Civil War re-enactor, complete with a breech-loading rifle that he likes to point at targets when he uses his gravity powers.  His powers have nothing to do with the rifle, it's just something he likes to do.

 

I call them OADs - Obvious Accessible Distractions.

[Cassandra]

2 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

And if you jump through hoops with your focus, isn’t that a hinderence? I had a shield using martial artist in a game once and tried to sneak it in a building-under a suit even. GM allowed me to try then my guy was found out. The GM explained how they noticed the shield due to it being OAF.  And the game continued on with fun.

 

And if a character has a power that seems like a Focus but has no Focus Limitation it could be a like Jimmy Olsen's Guardian's Shield or Oliver Queen's mimi-bow which they can activate while in street clothes (or a tux in Ollie's case).

[Hugh Neilson]

7 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

And if you jump through hoops with your focus, isn’t that a hinderence? I had a shield using martial artist in a game once and tried to sneak it in a building-under a suit even. GM allowed me to try then my guy was found out. The GM explained how they noticed the shield due to it being OAF.  And the game continued on with fun.

 

Sure.  Just like staying out of melee range to avoid disarms.  But don't be shocked when a tactically sharp opponent Grabs your OAF and throws it as far as his STR can hurl it.  Of course, any damage bonus from the shield is also useless at escaping Grabs and Entangles, which is also limiting.

[Ninja-Bear]

Exactly  Hugh. Being Disarmed is a risk of taking OAF. A GM shouldn’t have to figure out some formula that say every 3rd adventure the OAF player loses his OAF. To me that becomes accountant hero.

[Ninja-Bear]

6 hours ago, Cassandra said:

 

And if a character has a power that seems like a Focus but has no Focus Limitation it could be a like Jimmy Olsen's Guardian's Shield or Oliver Queen's mimi-bow which they can activate while in street clothes (or a tux in Ollie's case).

And my shield got whammied by the OAF limitation. No harm no foul. (To be fair, back then I took certain limitations because that’s what they were “supposed” to be).

[steriaca]

Limitations and advantages are never manatory, unless when they ARE required by the GM.

[Hugh Neilson]

11 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Exactly  Hugh. Being Disarmed is a risk of taking OAF. A GM shouldn’t have to figure out some formula that say every 3rd adventure the OAF player loses his OAF. To me that becomes accountant hero.

 

I'd say if the opponents are all tactical dullards and never attempt a Disarm, Grab, etc. then the limitation is not properly playing out unless it limits the character in some other way, but I think natural play will have it crop up often enough (possibly many times in rapid succession because we have an arc featuring opponents who disarm, entangle, etc., then not for a while afterwards, certainly not "well, it happened 2 sessions ago so I have to wait until the next session, when it must happen" accounting), any more than tracking how often Water Breathing comes in handy to ensure the exact right number of sessions pass between uses, rather than having it really useful in an Atlantis arc, then not too useful for many arcs thereafter.

 

At the same time, I'd be more inclined to have an underwater scenario to highlight a water breather than if no one had that power, so perhaps more inclined to include Disarms in the Martial Arts suite, Grabbing Bricks and/or low power Tangler Grenades in my agent arsenal if Mr. Shield is in the group.  Some of that might be villain response knowing who they are likely to face, and how he might be countered. 

[Cassandra]

It's not unusual for a villain to use weapons that counter a heroes powers. 

 

Most villains should have VPPs.