Side Effects that cause damage?

[Demonsong]

Side Effects that cause damage?

 

I am building a character that has problems controlling his powers. On a failed activation roll he takes damage and his powers burn him. But I am not totally clear on taking damage from side effects. Say a -1/2 limitation on a 60 point multi-power. That’s 30 points in side effects on a failed activation. Now damage is direct to the character no defenses so do you buy the damage from the side effect with the appropriate advantages.?

 

2D6 Normal

+1 NND

+1 Does body

=30pts

 

I can’t imagine that damage would go strait through defense and cost normal. If that was the case them it would have to be 6D6 damage direct every time he failed an activation. Ouch.

 

So how does it work?

 

Thanks

[ghost-angel]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

You don't buy the damage, that's in the Side Effect, you simply determine the damage caused.

 

For Side Effects that dealt damage to a character one GM divided the Side Effect in half to determine the dice used (15 = 2D6, 30 = 3D6, 60 = 6D6 Normal Damage) and another used Standard Effect (15 = 3 Body + 9 Stun, 30 = 6 Body + 18 Stun, 60 = 12 Body + 36 Stun).

 

Either way, they hurt. But then, they're supposed to hurt. Especially at the Major Side Effect level and even more so at the Extreme Side Effect level (also known as "Ah, but I do love that ConSTUN feeling." level).

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

Actually, Demonsong, I'm afraid you have it right; the victim of the Side Effect gets no benefit from his or her Defenses against that damage. Since the damage is based on Active Points, you can choose the effect the victim experiences - Normal Damage, Killing Damage, Drain, Flash, even a short-term Disadvantage - but the victim still won't get any applicable Defenses against it.

 

If you think the damage is too high, the only legal alternative is to take a smaller Side Effect for a lesser CP cost break. Remember, though, that the SE is usually intermittent, based on a failed Activation or Skill Roll, so it's assumed to happen to the character only on a fraction of the Power's uses.

[Southern Cross]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

Which is why you want a high (17+) Power Skill Roll.....

[TaxiMan]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

For someone's PC, I'd NEVER choose normal or killing damage. DRAIN is your friend! 6d6 DRAIN STUN is worth as much as a Side Effect as 12d6 EB. The DRAIN eats up about 20 STUN that you can't recover (5 / Turn only). The EB kills you with 12 BODY and 40+ STUN!

 

Killing Attacks are even worse as a Side Effect. Unless you have "Regen from Death"...

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

I have a house rule that Drains only count half their Active Points toward Side Effects.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

It basically comes down to the fact that Side Effects are evil nasty things. Which they should be. And is why I try to never take them.

[Col. Orange]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

Side note: Can you put advantages on the side effect itself?

e.g. Instead of Side Effect = 6D6 EB, 4D6 Explosive EB...

sfx: Steel Sentinel's Head-Cannon overheats, leaking plasma everywhere.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Side Effects that cause damage?

 

You could with GM Permission.

 

Normally the Side Effect can only effect the character who owns the power, an Explosion would start to effect those around them.

 

Otherwise, a Side Effect simply needs to meet the Active Point level requirement - 30 AP points worth of bad stuff in the case of direct damage for a 30 Point Side Effect.

 

In the case of non-damaing Side Effects it's entirely up to the GM what it's worth.