Increased Maximum Effect gone

[unclevlad]

Well, one aspect of a quick boost might be that 5d6 != 30.  It's 17...unless you want to apply it twice, which means 2 actions and 2x END spent.  Increased Max Effect as written for Absorption makes this worst;  it requires 4 actions most of the time.  The action cost is huge.

 

So perhaps look at a different angle...a booster on the power.  I'm thinking two angles:  first, no roll is needed;  the effect is always the maximum possible based on the dice purchased.  Second, perhaps doing so, the fade is delayed by 1 cycle.  If the fade is per turn, it's a turn;  if it's per minutes, it's a minute.  The first is the centerpiece that makes it rather more useful for quick boosts;  the second angle is something worth discussing. 

 

So the options would be 

maximize the roll only, the delay the fade is off the table

max the roll and delay the fade only (as a combination effect)

max the roll;  delay the fade as an option for an increase in the overall advantage  

 

The first and third also could be available for Healing, especially given Hero's "can only heal once" rule.  Gotta fly, got a dental appointment.  

[unclevlad]

Also:  raising multiple characteristics at once might be the abusive angle here, but I focus on Constant and 0 END for a different reason...it is simply more efficient.  Delayed Fade Rate is +1 as well;  that gives 1 minute fade.  That's most often plenty...BUT...to get the maximum benefit, the Aid has to be applied twice.  If nothing else, that consumes 2 actions to reach max effect.  The impact of this is somewhat variable, depending on the SPD of the character applying the Aid (and to some degree, the recipient, if it causes that character to forfeit a phase while waiting.)  

 

 

[Hugh Neilson]

I'm not convinced that the change had a ton of impact. 

 

If I buy +1d6Aid, only to increase the maximum, then I have increased the maximum by 6.  The Aid die, before any limitation, costs 6 CP.  If I think the limitation is -1, then the cost is 3 (so back to +2 maximum for 1 CP). 

 

The only thing that really changed is the ability to vary the cost depending on whether the Aid fades at the normal rate (so pretty limited, as I have to use more actions to take advantage of the increased maximum at all), or fades slower (maybe to the point that it's not really limiting at all; maybe -1/4 since I may want to Aid someone I could not Aid prior to the combat, like a prisoner), or it's Constant (so it only delays reaching the maximum by a phase or so; that delay is probably also -1/4 or -1/2 based on Extra Time).

[unclevlad]

One thing is, I loathe and abhor "only to twist the rules" pseudo-limitations. YMMV.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Its about active cost, mostly.  Most limiting structures in the game are based on active cost, so if you change that, it can have some major effects.