Power to create a glowing light orb that lasts 6 hrs...

[SteveZilla]

It is my understanding that I don't need to apply "Mobile" to this power (below) because it is No Range, per 6e1 (and having GM's option).  Also, *none* of the example powers using Images on p238 have Mobile.

This power is to create an "orb" (Physical Manifestation) that is independent of the character once created (Uncontrolled), and lasts for a period of time.  It can be picked up and moved, thus moving what area is being illuminated.

Sight Group Images, +4 PER Roll; Reduced END(Zero; +½), Area of Effect(8m Radius; +½), Uncontrolled(+½); Only To Create Light(-1), No Range(-½), Physical Manifestation(-¼), Time Limit(6 hrs; -½)

I seriously cannot see why anybody would say a light source requires Mobile.  Moving it should not be limited to an artificial 12m per Phase limit, and not require an *attack action*.

[Tech]

This is 6th edition so I'll take a try at it: I wouldn't apply No Range to it and would add OAF to it, since it appears anyone can pick it up. Since it is a physical manifestation and focus, you could theoretically roll it away from you, creating light at a distance; No Range wouldn't allow that. An Accessible focus can be mobile so that takes care of the Mobile problem. Just a quick thought.

 

Alternately, I could also see this is 0 points, similar to a flashlight.

[HeroGM]

Focus would ngate the need of physical manifestation

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah, buy it as a focus, it immediately becomes portable and anyone can use it.  Just like you'd buy a flashlight.

[Chris Goodwin]

I'd argue that Focus means someone needs to pick it up in order to use it.  Physical Manifestation means that the use of the power creates it, and then it's more or less independent until the power's duration ends or the Physical Manifestation is broken.  

 

I'd stick with Physical Manifestation.  

[Christopher R Taylor]

Focus is kind of nebulous in some ways; you can create a focus that is self-acting (anyone can get it and manipulate it, or take it somewhere else).  Then there is the "material component" concept D&D uses where you need x thing to make y effect, but its not contained in that item any longer and is typically consumed.  There's some need for a bit of differentiation and some rules examination on focus.

[Chris Goodwin]

There is some room for discussion.  Probably a bit more into the weeds of theorycrafting than SteveZilla wanted to get into...

 

So that we don't trigger Duke Bushido's standard rant about creation of light  Let's say there's a power that costs 5 base points, no END, and lets you create a circle of light bright enough to read by, 3m in diameter, somewhere within 50 meters.  

 

A flashlight could make it an OAF.  The user could turn it on and off at will.  The 3m circle of light can be easily moved from one wall to another, or to the ceiling, or to whatever you have in your hand and want to see more clearly.  You could turn on the flashlight and toss it somewhere, where it would sit there and glow; crucially, once you've done this, you can no longer turn it on or off, and someone else could pick it up, in which case they'd have the flashlight (OAF).  

 

The basic light spell from D&D.  You can cast it on a spot (on the wall, ceiling, or floor), in which case it doesn't move; you can also cast it on an object -- a stick, pebble, or coin, in which case you can toss it somewhere to light up the area where you toss it, or you can put the pebble or coin inside a hooded lantern, in which case you have a portable light source that you can turn on or off.  It will run down eventually (the spell expires).  If you break the object, it may or may not end the spell; perhaps you have glowing bits of stick or rock dust.  Not a Focus, not a Physical Manifestation.  

 

Let's say you have a hypothetical spell or power called small glowing orb of force.  The spell creates one of those, about the size of a baseball.  You can carry it with you, drop it inside a lantern, or toss it.  If it's tossed, someone could step on it and smash it (doing 1 BODY) in which case it would vanish entirely, but you could easily cast the spell again.  Physical Manifestation, not Focus (assuming it doesn't take any kind of material component to cast).

 

Let's say you have a pouch with a dozen "glow grenades".  You pull the pin and it starts glowing.  You could carry it around with you or toss it; if someone else picks it up they could carry it around.  It would run out after five minutes.  You have a dozen of them, and they're a standard piece of adventuring kit; you can refill your supply at any general store.  Focus?  Maybe... "pouch of glow grenades", with 12 Charges.  Physical manifestation?  Maybe.  If someone can break one that's in use, and cause it to stop working, that qualifies it for the Limitation.  

 

As with everything Hero, the final answer is "it depends".   

 

[archer]

27 minutes ago, Chris Goodwin said:

 

So that we don't trigger Duke Bushido's standard rant about creation of light  

 

 

Hey, G-d created light at least a day before He created the sun.

 

I don't see why we shouldn't be able to do the same....

[SteveZilla]

Unless I'm way misunderstanding Focus, if someone steals the Focus (or I give it to someone), I then don't have the power and can't make another light orb.  If I *create* the light orb (Physical Manifestation), it can then be treated as a physical object (and because of Uncontrolled) can be given to someone else to use.  Splitting the party?  No problem, I make two (one at a time).

 

[Chris Goodwin]

3 minutes ago, SteveZilla said:

Unless I'm way misunderstanding Focus, if someone steals the Focus (or I give it to someone), I then don't have the power and can't make another light orb.  If I *create* the light orb (Physical Manifestation), it can then be treated as a physical object (and because of Uncontrolled) can be given to someone else to use.  Splitting the party?  No problem, I make two (one at a time).

 

 

This is exactly correct.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Again, it depends, I think.  You can make more than one focus, but you would probably need to buy that odd 5 point "doubles the power" adder. 

[IndianaJoe3]

4 hours ago, Chris Goodwin said:

So that we don't trigger Duke Bushido's standard rant about creation of light  Let's say there's a power that costs 5 base points, no END, and lets you create a circle of light bright enough to read by, 3m in diameter, somewhere within 50 meters.  

 

Duke Bushido isn't the only one with a standard rant about the creation of light. But, carry on anyways. 😁

[Duke Bushido]

5 hours ago, archer said:

 

Hey, G-d created light at least a day before He created the sun.

 

I don't see why we shouldn't be able to do the same....

 

And it changed our environment forever. 

[SteveZilla]

14 hours ago, Duke Bushido said:

 

And it changed our environment forever. 

And it made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

It turns out my GM preferred me to use Continuing Charges, so for the price of the Zero END, Uncontrolled I was able to take Continuing Charges, 6 @ 6 hours.  However, that meant I could no longer limit the power with Time Limit(6 hrs; -½).  The Active Points remained the same, but the Real Cost rose by 2 pts (for my character).  I'm uncomfortable playing under a hard cap of 6 uses - I prefer more open-ended abilities, but I will live with it.

Thanks, everybody. 

[archer]

4 hours ago, SteveZilla said:

And it made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

It turns out my GM preferred me to use Continuing Charges, so for the price of the Zero END, Uncontrolled I was able to take Continuing Charges, 6 @ 6 hours.  However, that meant I could no longer limit the power with Time Limit(6 hrs; -½).  The Active Points remained the same, but the Real Cost rose by 2 pts (for my character).  I'm uncomfortable playing under a hard cap of 6 uses - I prefer more open-ended abilities, but I will live with it.

Thanks, everybody. 

 

Ugh.

 

I find I never use powers that have limited uses because "there might be a greater need for them later and I don't want them to be all gone". 

 

And if playing a fantasy character, my character will still be carrying any non-healing potion at the end of the campaign that he started the campaign with.

 

I might as well take the Physical Complication: Tightwad for all my characters because if it's a tangible object, I don't want to use it up.