Question About Adding Reach to Equipment (or Power)

[SteelBraxus]

Do I build Reach as a separate Power with the appropriate Limitations based on the weapon (Power or Equipment) that grants it? Or is there a way to build Reach officially into a piece of Equipment or Power?

 

Alternatively, is there a way to link Powers in Hero Designer?

 

Currently, this is what I have:

<i>Power Bastard Sword:</i>  HKA 1 1/2d6 (3d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; END cost based on STR required to wield; +1/2) (37 Active Points); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 18 (-3/4), Required Hands One-And-A-Half-Handed (-1/4)

 

and a totally separate Power:

 

<i>Power Bastard Sword's Reach:</i>  Stretching 1m, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (Power Bastard Sword; -1), Only To Cause Damage (-1/2), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4)

 

Is there a way to link these together or is this the best way. I'm trying to get my sheets as clean and efficient as possible.

Thank you

 

[unclevlad]

My approach is to define it as a custom adder on the weapon.  1 point per meter of reach.

 

 

This correctly, IMO but NOT per RAW, allocates the reach as part of the active point cost, so right now, this staff is 2 END per, not 1.  OTOH, at 2 or 4 dice, the reach wouldn't change the END.  I'm fine with that myself.  Another approach that wouldn't cost END would be to buy it like this:

 

The second power is a custom power, so you can turn the END off.  I prefer the custom adder because it's much *cleaner*.  I generally just don't buy an odd number of dice.   

[GoldenAge]

Compound Power is the way we roll.

 

[LoneWolf]

Using a compound power would be the best way to handle it.   Doing so allows someone looking at the character to clearly understand how the sword works.  This is going to be important if the campaign has multiple GM’s or the campaign is paused for a while before going back to.   When you are first writing up the character or are using it regularly you will understand what the custom adder is.  But let’s say you want to use that character in a new campaign or the campaign restarts after 5 years, you might not remember what that custom adder is or the pricing behind it. 

[SteelBraxus]

Thank you for the information! I think I will use a Compound Power.

 

Question: I can't figure out how to create a Compound Power in the designer...any help with that please?

[Christopher R Taylor]

You build a compound power by choosing the COMPOUND POWER option in the powers list.

Then click the ADD button, which brings up the power list again, allowing you to add one and build it normally.

Each new power you have in this compound power, you repeat the process.

[SteelBraxus]

Got it. Thank you!!

Sometimes the answer is so obvious.

 

I tend to see the trees instead of the forest.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Sometimes the interface of Hero Designer is less than clearly intuitive for me, at least.

[unclevlad]

I think a lot of it is we don't readily see the purpose for Compound Power, or Custom Adder, or Custom Power.

 

I've gotten a LOT of mileage out of Custom Power in cleaning up a sheet at times.  This is one such, in a large VPP:
 

0    1) See Templates: Custom Power (105 Active Points); Limited Range (-1/4) 

0    2) See Templates: Custom Power (105 Active Points); Limited Range (-1/4), No Knockback (-1/4) 
0    3) --------: Half Range Mods Real Cost: 0 - END=0
0    4) 13 DCs : (Total: 104 Active Cost) Blast 7d6 (vs. ED), Half Range Modifier (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (52 Active Points) plus Blast 6d6 (vs. ED), Half Range Modifier (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2)
0    5) 8d6 AVAD: (Total: 105 Active Cost, 52 Real Cost) Blast 4d6, Half Range Modifier (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), AVAD (Power Defense; +1) (50 Active Points) plus Blast 4d6, Half Range Modifier (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), AVAD (Power Defense; +1) (55 Active Points) Real Cost: 52
0    6) ----------: Short/Point Blank Real Cost: 0 - END=0
0    7) 16 DCs: (Total: 103 Active Cost) Blast 13d6 (vs. ED), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (81 Active Points) plus Blast 3d6 (vs. ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (22 Active Points) Real Cost: 51

0   😎 9D AVAD: (Total: 104 Active Cost) Blast 6d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), AVAD (Power Defense; +1) (67 Active Points) plus Blast 3d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), AVAD (Power Defense; +1) (37 Active Points) END=3

 

Slots 1 and 2 are custom powers.  This lets me put a shared limitation cleaner, on top of the VPP common limitations.  This is for a VPP, so I don't need to specify SFX...or, I do that in comments somewhere.  So I don't have to repeat stuff for when it's a magnetic force pulse (PD), electrical attack (ED), or fire or cold attack(ED, no KB).  Lines 3 and 6 are also custom powers just to help organize the layout...this is set up to handle both short and long range blasting.  Another option might be setting up Autofire attacks...where you *definitely* want to work out the math in advance!

 

[Christopher R Taylor]

I agree once you get how it works and how to use everything, Hero Designer is really powerful.