Power Construction -- Thoughts??

[OneWingedAngel]

Okay, in my gaming group, we've allways talked about building a character who's powers were the ability to take an incomming (ranged) attack, absorb it, and hold it to be unleashed later against someone else.

 

I mean, we've been talking about a concept like this for years, and we've always agreed that the best/only way to build it was missile deflection attached to a VPP/Mimic pool. And, we've seen a few characters built on the concept. The problem is that that construct is just too expensive to be effective.

 

Then, a few days ago, while I was drifting in and out of consciousness in my Sociology class, a thought struck me: Missile Deflection & Reflection with Delayed Effect bought on the Missile Reflection.

 

I realize that Delayed Effect is supposed to be used for Fantasy Hero games, and might be overbalancing in a Heroic setting, but it just seemed so perfect that I had to try it. I'm building the character now, actually.

 

Has anyone out there come up with/played with this concept before? Any thoughts or suggestions?

[nexus]

Re: Power Construction -- Thoughts??

 

I built it as an Energy Blast with Variable SFX, that was limited in dice and special effect to EBs I had been struck with that turn. Along with allot of absorption vs energy and Resistant ED.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Power Construction -- Thoughts??

 

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

Here's how I'd run it as a GM. To make it run more smoothly, and since the player paid for delayed effect - let the character abort to reflect if necessary, and then when he actually "reflects" it (ie shoots someone) it takes an attack action at that time. If it's in a multipower and he switches slots before taking the shot, the "stored" shot is lost.

[Legendsmiths]

Re: Power Construction -- Thoughts??

 

I would say that seems like a perfect way to handle it. There some squishiness when it comes to applying Delayed Effect though. I would say that it is only bought on the Missile Reflection part. I think I would also add Indirect to it. What you need to capture is that fundamentally you can take a power and surprise someone else with at at a time in the future. Delayed Effect doesn't capture that aspect of it, I think.

 

I believe that would result in a net +1 advantage on Missile Reflection, but no addition to Missile Deflection. Then apply a limitation to Missile D that precludes you from using it without Missile Reflection, unless this is an option (the hero can divert energy as well as absorb/store it at will).

 

This is also a good link for absorption anyway. The hero must master a particular technique to be able to effectively absorb energy. You use Missile Deflection, which deflects "harmlessly" (SFX: dissipates/absorbed) to handle the 'doesn't take damage' portion of it, and then absorption linked to it plus maybe an additional -1/2 to say 'only if succesfully deflected'.

 

Sounds like a great way to handle it without becoming senior mimic. Mimic powers are also a good candidate for exceeding campaign caps. If the cap is 60 active points of attack powers, then the mimic should be allowed to have a 60 point VPP w/ 30 point Control (plus ads/lims on control). While that is potentially a 120 point power, and must come out of the character's total points, I don't think it upsets the balance of the game to allow it since can only be used to create powers the character experiences (ala Rogue's touch + extra time or absorption and so on). I wouldn't allow such a pool if the player had total control over the powers, but to represent a mimic pool I don't mind the increased active points. If the character still needed more points to do it, beyond the 350 total (or whatever) I might work with the player to make up those points with some special disads.

 

Mimic in Exiles was extremely powerful, arguably moreso than any other member, but I don't think he unbalanced the team. Of course, they are all controled by the GM/Author, but that's another issue....

[Legendsmiths]

Re: Power Construction -- Thoughts??

 

Nexus has a good route too. Have it linked/limited by Missile D. That of course assumes that you are only talking about EB.

[Publius]

Re: Power Construction -- Thoughts??

 

How about something like this:

 

Absorption Reserve: Endurance Reserve (60 END, 0 REC) Note: This reserve can only be filled by the Absorption power below. Real Cost: 6

Absorption Pool: Elemental Control, 50-point powers, Real Cost: 25

Real Cost: 25, Energy Absorption: Absorption 5d6 (energy, goes to Reserve), Absorption As A Defense (x2), Resistant (+1/2) (62 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2) (COST: 5 END/hit)

Real Cost: 10, Redirect I EB 8d6, Variable Special Effects (Must match SFX of "Absorbed" Energy Blast; +1/4) (50 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Conditional Power Power does not work in Common Circumstances (Can only use this ability after an energy blast has been absorbed by character; -1/2) (COST: 15 END from Absorption Reserve)

Real Cost: 10, Redirect II RKA 2 1/2d6, Variable Special Effects (Must match SFX of "Absorbed" Energy Blast; +1/4) (50 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Conditional Power Power does not work in Common Circumstances (Can only use this ability after a Killing Energy attack has been absorbed by character; -1/2) (COST: 15 END from Absorption Reserve)

Total Cost:76

 

The Absorption power costs END not just to get it into the EC, but as a limit on the power. Because the Redirect attacks are pulling only from the END Reserve I wanted to make the ability cost something from the character at some point in the process. The high END cost is an attempt to make certain that the Pool is not used too often. Because of the decay rate on the points that go into the END reserve, the player should use that redirect power relatively quickly.

 

Edit: Forgot to make the "usable as defense" resistant.

[Publius]

Re: Power Construction -- Thoughts??

 

This time as a more broad-based Absorption Power.

 

Absorption: Absorption 3d6 (Varying Effect, points go into Absorption Reserve), Provides Resistant PD and ED (+1/2), Absorption As A Defense (x2), Varying Effect (+1) (52 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2) END Cost: 5 (as before these points obviously come off character’s personal reserve)

 

Absorption Reserve: Endurance Reserve (36 END, 0 REC) (Note: keep in mind that absorption adds 2 points of END to the reserve for every point absorbed, but it also drops by 10 points per full turn. GMs may raise this by moving the fade rate down but I would not suggest it because this is a good limit on potential abuse of this power.)

 

Reflected Energy Attack: Multipower, 50-point reserve, (50 Active Points); all slots Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Maximum Damage for Redirects cannot be higher than the original attack (-1/2), Conditional Power (Can only use this ability after an attack has been absorbed by character; -1/4) (Note: all END costs come off of Absorption Reserve)

--2u Energy Redirect I: RKA 2 1/2d6, Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX; +1/4) (50 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Maximum Damage for Redirects cannot be higher than the original attack (-1/2), Conditional Power (Can only use this ability after an attack has been absorbed by character; -1/4), END: 15

--2u Energy Redirect II: EB 8d6, Variable Special Effects (Must match SFX of "Absorbed" Energy Blast; +1/4) (50 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Maximum Damage for Redirects cannot be higher than the original attack (-1/2), Conditional Power (Can only use this ability after an attack has been absorbed by character; -1/4) END: 15

--1u Force Redirect I: RKA 2 1/2d6 (40 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Maximum Damage for Redirects cannot be higher than the original attack (-1/2), Conditional Power (Can only use this ability after an attack has been absorbed by character; -1/4), END: 12

--1u Force Redirect II: EB 8d6 (40 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Maximum Damage for Redirects cannot be higher than the original attack (-1/2), Conditional Power (Can only use this ability after an attack has been absorbed by character; -1/4), END: 12

Total Cost: 63 Points

 

The Absorption rate is lower with this version of the power, only 3d6, but this is an important limit because the variety of attacks that the character can absorbed has increased. In addition to absorbing (and reflecting back with the same SFX) energy-type attacks, the character can absorb physical attacks. When he does this he is able to produce force blasts (only, no SFX variation here). Keep in mind that the character has to consciously “switch†his absorption power accordingly to PD or ED, opening the possibility of a 'feint'. I dropped the limit on the Conditional power to reflect the fact that the character can absorb this wider variety (a character can get through an entire adventure without encountering an Energy-based attack, but now he can absorb physical attacks as well). The Maximum damage limitation is something I should probably incorporate in the other version as well.

 

NOTE: You could remove the "costs END" and the Varying Effects to make the power cost 37 points, then purchase it twice to give you protection/absoprtion from both Physical and Energy Attacks. This ends up costing the character a lot more points (74 rather than 35 for the Absoprion power alone, thus jacking up the total cost to 102) but gives you a much more powerful ability -- no possibility of getting caught by last-minute 'feints' and no END cost associated with using the ability. I personally don't like this idea just for balance/playability sake. The power as presented here is a good solid ability, but it also has inherent weaknesses that can be discovered by opponents and in my mind makes it a more interesting power.

 

EDIT: Added Note at bottom