Seeking Feedback On Electricity Powers

[Fedifensor]

One of the PC's in a forthcoming campaign that I'm running has electricity powers. I was looking for feedback on some of the powers, since I'm a bit out of practice with character design. The powers, along with comments, are listed below.

 

Voltage Boost: +20 REC (40 Active Points); Limited By Amount Of Electricity Available (-1/2), Visible (-1/4)

Guidelines: Household Current: +5 REC, Heavy Household Current: +10 REC, Light Industrial Current: +15 REC, Heavy Industrial Current: +20 REC, Automobile: +10 REC

 

I wanted to do something similar to Static Shock, where she can stand near a power source and absorb energy...without any complicated power construct using Absorption or Transfer. Basically, whenever it's time for her to take a recovery, I figure out the strongest power source within 4 meters, and base her recovery on it. I figured out the relative strengths of the power sources by consulting the table on page 299 (5 pts REC per 1d6K damage).

 

The Visible disadvantage is because the electricity arcs from the power source to her body. The -1/2 limitation for available electricity seemed right - I figure she can usually find at least Heavy Household Current in a battle, but getting the full use of her Recovery is difficult.

 

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Electrosense: Detect Electrical Fields 13- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Range, Sense

Long-Range Electrosense: Clairsentience (Radio Group), Megascale (1" = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (45 Active Points); Only Between Conductors Or Through Wires (-1/2), One Sense Only (-1/4)

Electron Transport: (Total: 50 Active Cost, 33 Real Cost) Teleportation 5", No Relative Velocity, Safe Blind Teleport (+1/4), Megascale (1" = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (50 Active Points); Only Between Conductors Or Through Wires (-1/2) (Real Cost: 33)

 

Three different powers that work together. Her Electrosense allows her to sense electric current - cities appear to her filled with lines of electricity. Her Long-Range Electrosense allows her to extend that perception on a planetary scale, as long as there is a direct electrical pathway from a source within her line of sight to her destination (such as a fiber-optic line). This ties into her ability to teleport by traveling along those electrical pathways.

 

You'll notice that her Electrosense isn't a Targeting Sense. This is intentional. I don't want her travelling through the power conduits of a villain's base and appearing in the control room. By combining Safe Blind Teleport with a non-Targeting Sense, I can control her ability to do pinpoint teleports without putting the character in excessive danger from long-range travel.

 

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Living Lightning: Teleportation 13", No Relative Velocity (36 Active Points); Cannot Pass Through Non-Conductive Surfaces (-1/4)

Living Lightning Arc: Energy Blast 3 1/2d6, No Normal Defense ((12+ resistant ED or being fully insulated); +1), Area Of Effect (4" Any Area; +1) (54 Active Points); Only Along Teleport Path (-1/2)

 

This is a bit of a weird one. She can transform herself into 'living lightning' in order to move from place to place, even if there are no wires nearby. However, she can also do a half-move teleport and shock anyone she passed along the way. Though the attack goes off after the teleport (according to game mechanics), the overall effect is that it occurs as she teleports. It doesn't have to be a straight line, but she does have to be able to trace the AoE along the lightning path (7" from origin to destination for a half-move).

 

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Well, those are the only three 'iffy' powers I've come up with so far. What do you think?

[freakboy6117]

Re: Seeking Feedback On Electricity Powers

 

just as a thought the automobile recovery seems a little high is she draining from multiple cars in this case?

 

also industrial level voltage is actually quite common electricity transformer stations not to mention high voltage pylons take in fairly high voltage and are available within say a kilometer of most urban locations zap off with teleport boost up come back to the fray?

[Fedifensor]

Re: Seeking Feedback On Electricity Powers

 

just as a thought the automobile recovery seems a little high is she draining from multiple cars in this case?

Well, according to the book, a well-grounded person will take 2d6K damage from an automobile spark plug - the same damage done by heavy household current. So I figured that she could gain the same amount of power from an automobile.

 

Even if there are multiple sources, she only sucks energy from one source at a time - otherwise figuring out how much power she can access gets too complicated.

 

 

also industrial level voltage is actually quite common electricity transformer stations not to mention high voltage pylons take in fairly high voltage and are available within say a kilometer of most urban locations zap off with teleport boost up come back to the fray?

 

Unless she wants to use her noncombat teleport, she won't be teleporting anywhere close to a kilometer. Even if she does, the limitation reflects in the inconvenience of finding an appropriate location to drain power from. If she wastes a phase or two seeking out an appropriate location, the limitation is having its desired effect.

 

Here's some typical fight locations in my campaign:

 

Typical Office Complex - Light Household Current

 

Bank - Light or Heavy Household Current

 

Villain's Base - Heavy Household Current, or Light Industrial in some areas.

 

City Intersection - Heavy Household Current (street lights), (Light Industrial Current (power lines) or Heavy Industrial Current (transformer). Note that she needs to be within 4 meters (roughly 10 feet) of the source, and she doesn't have a way to hover. So if she teleports up to a high voltage pylon, she has to figure out a way to balance up there for the duration of the recovery.

 

Construction Site - Light Industrial Current, or Heavy Industrial Current in some areas.

 

I freely admit that I'm not an expert on electricity sources (and the player's even more clueless than I am), but I figured I'd place them as appropriate for dramatic effect. I see no problem with her getting access to Heavy Household Current in most fights, and Light Industrial Current if she works to find an appropriate source.

[Fedifensor]

Re: Seeking Feedback On Electricity Powers

 

I've moved to working on the character's disadvantages. Her main disadvantage is the ability to have her electrical charge drained by water (again, similar to Static from Static Shock).

 

Susceptibility: Immersed In Water (when Electrical powers active), 4d6 END Drain (2d6 Drain, x2 Characteristic multiplier) per Phase (Common; Can Recover Endurance Drain Normally, -5 to disadvantage points)

Notes: Lesser amounts of water drain Endurance as well. A rough guidelines is 2 END/phase for a light rainstorm (drizzle), 1d6 END/phase for a standard storm, and 2d6 END/phase for a heavy rainstorm. Being hit by a water-based attack is normally the full drain of 4d6 END for the phase. The drain can continue even after the source of water is gone - having soaked clothing and hair drains 1d6 END/phase, that lasts until Volta dries off or turns off her powers.

Note that unlike most Susceptabilities, Volta can recover the Endurance normally - a large enough Electrical source can allow her to even use her powers underwater for brief periods.

 

I wanted the character to be functional on a rainy day, but inconvenienced. Her Voltage Boost power should partially compensate for the drain of a standard storm (the drain averages 18 END/turn). I also expect the character to carry an umbrella if she knows it's going to rain.

 

I priced the Can Recover Endurance Normally at -5 points. Normally, you can't recover stats drained by a Susceptability until the source is gone, but I didn't want the character to run and hide whenever water shows up in an adventure.

 

So, do you think the disadvantage is worth 20 points?

[Trebuchet]

Re: Seeking Feedback On Electricity Powers

 

I wouldn't allow her to drain electricity through a rain shower or storm. The raindrops would tend to absorb some of the energy. I'd make her actually have to touch the source in such circumstances.

 

As described I'm not certain it's worth a Disad unless being thrown in a pool of water totally drains her. Otherwise it's more along the lines of a Limitation on her Powers.

[Fedifensor]

Re: Seeking Feedback On Electricity Powers

 

I wouldn't allow her to drain electricity through a rain shower or storm. The raindrops would tend to absorb some of the energy. I'd make her actually have to touch the source in such circumstances.

 

At a minimum, the rain would reduce the amount recovered. I think it would depend on how much it was raining. I'd probably have a standard storm drop the REC by 10, requiring her to find industrial-level power sources or touch the source in question.

 

As described I'm not certain it's worth a Disad unless being thrown in a pool of water totally drains her. Otherwise it's more along the lines of a Limitation on her Powers.

 

Well, by default, losing 4d6 END/phase from being immersed in water will tap her out in less than a turn (she has 50 END). If I wanted to increase the disad to 25 pts (30 Active Points of Drain), she'd short out almost instantly in water...but I wanted to give the player a chance. Technically, rainstorms and the like are a Very Common occurrance (anyone can grab a water hose), but I only made it Common because the drain scales to the amount of water present.

 

The problem with using Limitations is that she'll get more points...and they'll be spendable. If she doesn't take the Susceptibility, she has to come up with another 20 points in Disadvantages. If he limits her powers instead, she gains at least another 20 points to spend on more stuff.

 

Adding a -1/4 limitation (Increased END Cost when in water) on all of her Endurance-using powers is huge. As an example, her 55-point Electrical Emissions multipower drops to 44 points. That's 11 points saved without even counting the reduced cost of the slots. Then you have her Force Field and Teleportation getting a savings as well.

[fbdaury]

Re: Seeking Feedback On Electricity Powers

 

Her electro sense is also a good excuse for giving her Combat sense, since she can detect the Bio-electrical fields of those within the same hex as her. Overall, some interesting ideas...