Drain verse Power Defense.

[Gauntlet]

For curiosity sake, how would other GMs deal with any type of drain that may drain Power Defense as well. One big question is that if the drain is reducing the amount of Power Defense would that mean that it would then cause even more to be drained as there is not as much Power Defense to protect against it?

[Christopher R Taylor]

I am pretty sure there's a rule about this but as I understand it: the defense works at its pre-drain amount against the attack.  So:

 

Drain rolls 9 points, power defense is 5, net result 4 CP drained (2 points of power defense drained, since adjustment attacks against defenses are halved).  Next time, the drain rolls 5 points, going against the Power Defense of now 3.  2 points get through, draining 1 more Power Defense, and so on.

[LoneWolf]

I am assuming you are talking about a drain that affects multiple things simultaneously.  If that is the case you roll the damage and apply any power defense.  If what you are draining is considered a defense (including the power defense) half the amount drained and apply that to the characteristic.  If the characteristic is not considered a defense, then apply the damage after subtracting the power defense to the characteristic.   

 

The Linked limitation specifies that if either attack reduces your defenses the other attack the other attack applies first.  This prevents you from linking one drain to another to be able to drain a character's power defense.   

 

So, basically you get the power defense vs all on the first attack.  
 

[Stanley Teriaca]

The Drain would be against the pre drained Power Defense first, and any drain which affects Power Defense will happen last, no matter how it is defined. Players might say 'unfair', but you remind them that if you allow them to do that, the GM must allow villains to use the same tactic. What is fare for one is rare for all after all.

[Gauntlet]

And to make things worse, what to do if the target has Power Defense through multiple different things (5 points natural Power Defense, 5 Points as part of Force Field, and 5 points as part of worn armor). Now if for some reason all of these are considered part of the group the drain is against, does it drain each one individually or only against one or split against all three?

[Stanley Teriaca]

40 minutes ago, Gauntlet said:

And to make things worse, what to do if the target has Power Defense through multiple different things (5 points natural Power Defense, 5 Points as part of Force Field, and 5 points as part of worn armor). Now if for some reason all of these are considered part of the group the drain is against, does it drain each one individually or only against one or split against all three?

If it is against Power Defense, then the power Power Defense would only be drained. Not power defense as part of the Force Field. Note, all three are added together as defense, except when common sense and thematic sense would say otherwise (for an the example, if the power armor is not worn, then only the natural PD would be counted...if he was surprised with his Force Field off only natural and armor would count...)

Edited April 10 by Stanley Teriaca

[Christopher R Taylor]

Its a general rule that your personal powers are drained last in a "stack" of abilities.  For example, if you have Power Defense and someone or something Aids your Power Defense, the aided part is drained first.

[LoneWolf]

Resistant Defense that works vs power is not power defense, it is still resistant defense.  If you have stacking power defense from multiple sources it is still one pool of power defense.  The only time having multiple sources might all get drained is if they have the limitation Unified Power.  If you had power defense and resistant armor that provides power defense with Unified Power both would be drained when hit with a drain affecting either.   

[Gauntlet]

I apologize, it was not armor for Power Defense, it was just Power Defense bought with a OIF that was the worn armor.