Build this: electrified chain

[Tech]

I'm working on a villain that uses a long chain to try to entangle his opponent. As long as the opponent is still entangled by the chain, the villain can send a jolt of electricity through the chain to stun the hero. My questions on it are:

 

a) do you suggest Stun Only or NND since the chain will be unaffected?

b) how do you build the auto. hit by the electricity?

 

Decided to add: villain can swing the chain around himself in a radius of about 20 feet (3"). Anyone approaching into that radius is hit as long as he swings the chain around. How would you build that?

 

Let's hear it!

[Sketchpad]

a) I would do NND (Grounded) myself. I find that Stun Only doesn't have quite the same effect for electrical effects (like Tasers), since it would be altered by Defenses. 

b) The auto hit I would stat out as Damage Over Time. 

[tombrown803]

the third question would simply be a blast/RKA bought with: constant, Area of effect, personal immunity and no range

[eepjr24]

Numerous ways to do this. With what you have above, I would probably do a multipower with the entangle (maybe you are thinking grab, really?) and HKA in one slot and swinging in another slot, build them both as Fixed slots and add lockout if needed. 

 

I would probably use the chain as stretching and +STR for GRAB only. Then link the HKA to it and you are done. Thereafter if the GRAB is still in effect you just make an attack roll at 1/2 DCV versus the grabbed hero.

 

- E 

[archer]

3 hours ago, Tech said:

I'm working on a villain that uses a long chain to try to entangle his opponent. As long as the opponent is still entangled by the chain, the villain can send a jolt of electricity through the chain to stun the hero. My questions on it are:

 

a) do you suggest Stun Only or NND since the chain will be unaffected?

b) how do you build the auto. hit by the electricity?

 

Decided to add: villain can swing the chain around himself in a radius of about 20 feet (3"). Anyone approaching into that radius is hit as long as he swings the chain around. How would you build that?

 

Let's hear it!

 

The first part sounds like a weapon with Stretching and the ability to grab the target, not much different than a whip. The electricity is an attack which must follow the grab.   

[Ninja-Bear]

3 hours ago, tombrown803 said:

the third question would simply be a blast/RKA bought with: constant, Area of effect, personal immunity and no range

With the Area Effect and the sfx of the chain being whipped around I see two other modifiers on the AoE.  If he’s really good then Selective. He hits (tries) only the people he wants to hit. The other would be Non Selective. He attacks everyone in the AoE but the chain has to hit the opponents not just the area.

1 hour ago, archer said:

 

The first part sounds like a weapon with Stretching and the ability to grab the target, not much different than a whip. The electricity is an attack which must follow the grab.   

My first thought is Entangle with linked Blast. When you’re grabbed your at 1/2 DCV, entangled you’re 0 DCV. That may not be a big deal though.

[Thia Halmades]

Hmm. Hmm hmm hmm.

 

First off, the chain thingy. I’m assuming that he can hit people with it, so first, build it as a HTH attack. Chain, HTH, Reach, OIF. 

Now you can hit people who are X away with the chain. Coo. Next, entangle. Remember that when someone is entangled, the chain is now “busy.” To represent that, the Entangle carries Lock Out (-1/2, I believe). And it locks out the HTH function. Coo? Cool. Oh, and your Entangle is on a Trigger; that way, he can choose to bash people with the chain, or choose to hit someone and then when it strikes, engage the Trigger (it is optional) and roll for Entangle.

Finally, with the target wrapped, he sends the current down the chain and deals whatever you want electric damage to be; you can make it raw STUN, you can make it RKA, you can make it Penetrating, etc etc. The special effect of lightning you’ll have to decide on, just remember to keep it consistent through the campaign. Because of this, your lightning element is Linked as the lesser power to your Entangle. So Entangle on Trigger, lightning Linked to a successful Entangle.

[Ninja-Bear]

Oh and don’t forget though if you grab someone with stretching, you’re at 1/2DCV versus everyone else.

[Greywind]

Energy Blast 14D6 Stun Only, No Knockback, No Range, Linked (Entangle)

 

Entangle 5D5, 5 Def, No Range

 

Stretching 1” Linked (Entangle)

[Ninja-Bear]

5 minutes ago, Greywind said:

Energy Blast 14D6 Stun Only, No Knockback, No Range, Linked (Entangle)

 

Entangle 5D5, 5 Def, No Range

 

Stretching 1” Linked (Entangle)

Why not just cut out the Stretching and No Range and instead use Limited Range?

[Tech]

Tentatively, I'm thinking I'll go with:

 

-Stretching with Hand Attack added to it, OAF-Chain.  This way, it also allows a person to block the chain, something I wanted people to be able to do.

-Entangle, 7 Def, 4 Body

-NND linked to Entangle, 1 charge

-AE Attack, Constant, No range, Personal Immunity (or Hole in Center) for swinging the chain around.

 

 

 

[Ninja-Bear]

24 minutes ago, Tech said:

Tentatively, I'm thinking I'll go with:

 

-Stretching with Hand Attack added to it, OAF-Chain.  This way, it also allows a person to block the chain, something I wanted people to be able to do.

-Entangle, 7 Def, 4 Body

-NND linked to Entangle, 1 charge

-AE Attack, Constant, No range, Personal Immunity (or Hole in Center) for swinging the chain around.

 

 

 

Looks pretty good. Question though is the agents for so you can leave some one tied up with the chain? 

[Ninja-Bear]

Ugh, auto correct! Is the Entangle so you can leave someone tied up!

[Tech]

Yep, the entangle leaves someone tied up. I guess that causes a lockout on other powers, unless he has another chain to use. So, maybe the entangle is 2 charges.

[Greywind]

4 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Why not just cut out the Stretching and No Range and instead use Limited Range?

 

Why?

[Ninja-Bear]

Perhaps I’m missing something but why have power No Range then link to Stretching for length? Or is stretching doing something else I’m missing?

[Duke Bushido]

6 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Perhaps I’m missing something but why have power No Range then link to Stretching for length? Or is stretching doing something else I’m missing?

Right. At least, in my opinion, he's right.  Why not just model it as an Entangle that does damage (slot 1) and an AOE no range hole I  the middle (slot 2)?  Unless he can  do both at once, make them ultras. 

 

 

[Chris Goodwin]

I'd give him a no-range electrical attack (Blast, NND, etc.), and then a few meters of Stretching through a Focus.  "Entangling" with the chain could as easily be a Grab with the Stretched "limb", and then zappo with the electricity.  Simplest is best IMO.

 

Edit to add:  Also, consider AC current, which tends to cause muscles to jerk (and can increase Knockback or have other effects) versus DC current, which causes them to lock in place (paralysis-type separate Entangle or other effects).

[Hugh Neilson]

I prefer an Entangle to a Stretching Grab because Grab comes with that halved DCV for the user of the chain.  Unless you want his DCV halved while he is running a charge through his opponent.  An Entangle with only one BOD would simulate opposed STR to escape, much like a Grab.

 

The electric attack could have many mechanics – Blast, Blast, Stun Only, NND, KA, whatever.  Take Chris’ approach and it could be a Constant entangle mitigating the need for an Entangle caused by the chain itself, or even an Entangle based on a stat other than STR.  The one element here that no one seems to have mentioned is making the electric attack AoE, Surface (whether limited to the chain as the surface, or limited to metal objects if the character, rather than the chain, provides the electricity).  That removes the need for Trigger or Constant to maintain the autohit with the electricity.  This also allows for anyone touching the chain to also take the electrical damage.

 

Swinging it around is definitely that easy AoE with either a hole in the middle or personal immunity.  Or, if the electricity is NND, as simple as him having the defense.

[Ninja-Bear]

On 10/2/2020 at 7:40 AM, Tech said:

Tentatively, I'm thinking I'll go with:

 

-Stretching with Hand Attack added to it, OAF-Chain.  This way, it also allows a person to block the chain, something I wanted people to be able to do.

-Entangle, 7 Def, 4 Body

-NND linked to Entangle, 1 charge

-AE Attack, Constant, No range, Personal Immunity (or Hole in Center) for swinging the chain around.

 

 

 

At this point Tech I’d say run with this. And if it doesn’t quite work out the way you want, rewrite! And let us know what you decided upon.

[foolishvictor]

On 10/2/2020 at 7:40 AM, Tech said:

Tentatively, I'm thinking I'll go with:

 

-Stretching with Hand Attack added to it, OAF-Chain.  This way, it also allows a person to block the chain, something I wanted people to be able to do.

-Entangle, 7 Def, 4 Body

-NND linked to Entangle, 1 charge

-AE Attack, Constant, No range, Personal Immunity (or Hole in Center) for swinging the chain around.

 

 

 

 

If the electrical NND damage is useable anytime the character entangles with the chain then my suggestion would be to use the "trigger" advantage on it where the trigger is success with the entangle or perhaps an unsuccessful escape from the the entangle.  

 

I would not purchase "constant" for the area attack unless the character can do other attacks while also using the area attack.  (An area of attack action with no range does not really need a "to hit" roll but maybe that's just me.)  A character using an attack in a continuous way should probably get the benefit of the constant advantage in this context provided nothing happens to interrupt the attack and the character is paying end for it on their phases before and after the attack occurs.  Additionally, the player should be clear that the character has not stopped swinging the chain.  Swinging the chain around is probably a "gestures" limitation and if it reduces his mobility you might add a limitation there as well.  If the character is easier to hit when swinging a chain around then perhaps you should consider a concentration limitation on it too.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Tech]

fv, I ultimately decided on Constant/Continuous (forget which one is needed) because anyone entering that area regardless of PHA will be hit while it's being swung around. Not having it constant/cont means a hero on the villains off-phase can attack him without being affected, as I see it.

 

ex. Vilain has a 5 Spd, hero has a 6 Spd. Villain swings chain around on phase 5. On phase 6, hero moves up & punches him since the attack on phase 5 is now over.

[Ninja-Bear]

That sounds about right Tech.

[foolishvictor]

18 hours ago, Tech said:

fv, I ultimately decided on Constant/Continuous (forget which one is needed) because anyone entering that area regardless of PHA will be hit while it's being swung around. Not having it constant/cont means a hero on the villains off-phase can attack him without being affected, as I see it.

 

ex. Vilain has a 5 Spd, hero has a 6 Spd. Villain swings chain around on phase 5. On phase 6, hero moves up & punches him since the attack on phase 5 is now over.

 

The great thing about Hero is it lets you (as GM) use the rules as you see fit.  I reviewed 6E1 and your interpretation is there so I guess I get a slice of humble pie... 

 

It sounds like your villain cannot use other attacks while whirling the chain.  If so, perhaps a lockout power limitation might be appropriate.

[Greywind]

On 10/2/2020 at 2:52 PM, Duke Bushido said:

Right. At least, in my opinion, he's right.  Why not just model it as an Entangle that does damage (slot 1) and an AOE no range hole I  the middle (slot 2)?  Unless he can  do both at once, make them ultras.

 

Concept. Think of the Constrictor. Grab, zap, thud.