Improved Absorption?

[theskaven]

Has anyone attempted to create a power to simulate an improved absorption? I am creating an energy projector who is made up entirely of anti-matter energy. He has 75% Energy Damage Reduction and a healthy ED (within campaign limits).

 

I want this character to have his characteristics buffed when he is struck with an energy attack. Absorption, though, is rather weak. A 15d6 energy blast, for example, will add on average only 15 character points.

 

Has anyone here experimented with using AID (perhaps with a trigger) to simulate an improved absorption? Perhaps maybe even something like +15 STR, +15 STUN (-1/4 nonpersistent -1/2 only after struck with an energy attack) -- somehow this power also needs to fade after a turn, however.

 

Any other creative ideas, or better yet, anyone who has done this before?

 

Thanks!

 

Skaven

[MitchellS]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

If you don't like absorption you could just buy +10d6 additional damage with a -1 limitation: Only +2d6 per hit from an energy based attack. So after 5 hits you are now doing 10 extra dice of damage.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

You shouldn't IMO be trying to simulate a power that you don't like the mechanics of with another power or powers. Think about that 15 points you are getting from that energy blast...say your campaign limit is 15d6 EB, and both you and your opponent have an EB at that level, that 15 points increases it to 18d6. Because of the way that Hero works, if you could damage your opponent with a 15d6 blast, ALL of the additional 3 dice is going to damage your opponent without subtraction, that is 10-11 points on average a hit, which may in fact double the amount of damage you are getting through your opponents defences. That is not weak.

 

What you would like to do, by the look of it, is get stronger and negate any damage you just took. You can do this with absorption (3d6 absorption (15 AP), STR and STUN (+1/2) +2 to maximum, to 20 (+1 AP)*, total cost 24 points). But that only saves 6 points on just buying the characteristics! I know, but if you are at or near campaign maxima already, and your GM agrees, this will allow you to exceed them, which is powerful magic. In fact it would be the same cost as buyuing the characteristics with the limitation (only active for one turn after being hit by an energy attack -1/4). Why only -1/4? Because energy attacks happen all the time in Champions.

 

If you really think the mechanic is broken, and your GM agrees, just tweak the cost, but it isn't, you know.

 

 

 

*the +2 points is so that you can max out at +20, and even after PS12 deduction of 5 points you still have the full 15 points of effect you are after, so long as you get hit by an EB at least once a turn.

 

 

NB your +15 (or +20) STUN is only added once: it can not keep negating damage, it just increases the maximum, or theoretical maximum, by that amount.

[theskaven]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

What you would like to do' date=' by the look of it, is get stronger and negate any damage you just took. You can do this with absorption (3d6 absorption (15 AP), STR and STUN (+1/2) +2 to maximum, to 20 (+1 AP)*, total cost 24 points). [/quote']

This is it exactly! If a 15 absorption actually meant +8 STUN, +7 STR that would be perfect, but it does not because of the damage that you take.

 

Let's take the following example. Our particular campaign limits are under Superpowered hero, 25 defenses and 16 DC. Okay so the character is a ball of anti-matter in a suit, has a 20 ED and 75% energy damage reduction. An energy blaster shoots him with a 16d6 energy blast (campaign maximum), and the result is 56 STUN, 16 BODY. 56-20 = 36, divided by 4 = 9. And thus, if you add 16 STUN, you are really only added 7 because of the damage that did get through.

 

But that only saves 6 points on just buying the characteristics! I know, but if you are at or near campaign maxima already, and your GM agrees, this will allow you to exceed them, which is powerful magic.

I am not trying to exceed any maximums, just trying to simulate two things: energy invulnerability and having energy actually make the character stronger (as opposed to needing to use the points absorbed just to off-set the damage that was just taken). See my dilemma?

 

Thanks for the suggestions, I see your point about the -1/4.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

Yes indeedee...

 

Champions does not do 'energy invulnerability'. I think it should, but it doesn't, and there are very sound game balance reasons why. A really cool 'background/justification' does not allow you to circumvent the rules.

 

Imagine your ball of antimatter in a suit: the suit is at least partially matter, so it can only absorb a certain amount of damage (antimatter healing), before the integrity of the suit is threatened requiring it to divert life energies (STUN) to shoring it up. Ultimately, whilst some 'damage' makes it stronger, continued pounding weakens it.

 

Point is that you can't build total immunity to damage in HERO.

 

You COULD (with GM approval) use your absoorption to increase a tiny Heal power and persuade your GM to allow to heal individual blows individually. That is the nearest you will get.

[Frenchman]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

You COULD also buy desol, only to protect from damage from energy attacks. This would be hideously expensive, though, since you would have to buy affects solid world (+2) on your 16d6 eb (240 points, assuming no other advantages) and your strength. But you would be invulnerable to energy attacks (unless they are bought Affects Desol.)

[Vorsch]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

Just buy 40pts of ed rather than DR. Thats more like invulnerability, and hang AP limits.

 

Wacky ways of buying something thats dead simple is just to fit game balance issues is heros "psych lim" all the time ,total, fully impairing.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

There are two issues here:

 

For total invulnerability to energy, the best you can do is buy tons of ED.

 

But for a faster/more effecient Absorption, the way you propose is about right. I've done this before, too. Xd6 Absorption and Xd6 Aid, Trigger (+1/4), Linked (-1/4*), Self Only (-1/2), Only up to amount Absorbed (-1/2)**, (and some combination of Continuous, Uncontrolled, and hand waving like with Regeneration, or the Trigger resetting options that I think will be included in FREd-revised).

 

Or you could buy the Aid as some sort of hand-waved Damage Shield that affects you when you're hit by energy attacks, but that gets a little strange and more complicated.

 

* I think, since the Aid AP will be more than the Absorption AP.

** I think this value is right. Adjust as appropriate.

[Tom McCarthy]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

I seem to recall you could do a decent job of boosting an attack power by buying a bunch of dice which drew END from a reserve which only was energized by Absorption.

 

30 Absorption vs. energy attacks 6D6 to END in END Reserve

10 END Reserve (100 END capacity, 0 REC)

20 Multipower of power boosts, draws from END Reserve which is usually empty (-1/2)

2u +6D6 EB

2u +30 STR

2u +10" Flight, additional x4 NCM

2u FF (15 rPD, 15 rED)

 

With this kind of structure, 15 BODY absorbed is 30 END which will allow you to unleash an extra 30 active points about 10 times.

[Lightray]

Instead of using Absorption to improve your Characteristics/Powers, try this:

 

Absorption feeds into an END Reserve that has no REC.

 

Use Succor to improve your Characteristics/Powers, and pay for the Succor's END cost out of that END Reserve.

 

You can get enough dice of Succor so this can be a significantly larger effect than Absorption. Since Succor is Continuous by default, the improvements last while you've got END to keep spending. But your Succor will go away once you've used up all the END in your END Reserve.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

I seem to recall you could do a decent job of boosting an attack power by buying a bunch of dice which drew END from a reserve which only was energized by Absorption.

 

30 Absorption vs. energy attacks 6D6 to END in END Reserve

10 END Reserve (100 END capacity, 0 REC)

20 Multipower of power boosts, draws from END Reserve which is usually empty (-1/2)

2u +6D6 EB

2u +30 STR

2u +10" Flight, additional x4 NCM

2u FF (15 rPD, 15 rED)

 

With this kind of structure, 15 BODY absorbed is 30 END which will allow you to unleash an extra 30 active points about 10 times.

 

I love Hero, you can do anything with it. I think the problem here would be getting your GM to handwave (a piece of jargon I am coming to HATE, incidentally) that extra unusually large energy blast you suddenly have...your 12d6 EB suddenly becomes 18d6...or 24d6 as a pushed haymaker...

 

Technically END has a different cost in a reserve so I think it ought to be built with a 10 END 0 REC reserve (1 point), and the Absorption would then feed in 10 END per point of damage taken (on 30 points of absorption, that would be 180 END maximum). You'd lose 50 END (count 'em!) from the reserve PS12. This would be an OMDB power. Noprize for guessing the acronym...

[Ndreare]

Re: Improved Absorption?

 

Technically END has a different cost in a reserve so I think it ought to be built with a 10 END 0 REC reserve (1 point), and the Absorption would then feed in 10 END per point of damage taken (on 30 points of absorption, that would be 180 END maximum). You'd lose 50 END (count 'em!) from the reserve PS12. This would be an OMDB power. Noprize for guessing the acronym...

 

Small change though. "Adjustment Power" affect END Reserve at a decreased value of 1 AP per 2 END. This was done as a balance thing and I like it.

 

I personaly have had a character concept alot like this in the past. I still play the character and even have a City of Heroes Character based on him. (Genisis).

 

This is how I worked Gen.

 

Cost Power

6 Energy Absorbtion: LS (Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat)

45 Energy Absorbtion: Armor (0 PD/20 ED), Hardened (x2; +1/2) (45 Active Points)

75 Energy Absorption: Absorption 5d6 (energy, Endurance), Can Absorb Maximum Of 80 Points' Worth Of Energy Damage, Endurance & Multipower simultaneously (+1/2) (75 Active Points)

60 Energy Control: Multipower, 60-point reserve

6u 1) Energy Transformation: Succor 4d6 (standard effect: 12 points), all Physical Characteristics simultaneously (+2) (60 Active Points)

12m 2) Energy Blast: EB 12d6 (vs. ED) (60 Active Points)

6m 3) Energy Field: FF (15 PD/15 ED) (30 Active Points)

12m 4) Energy Wall: FW (11 PD/11 ED; 3" long and 1" tall) (59 Active Points)

12m 5) Energy Rideing: Flight 25", x8 Noncombat (60 Active Points)

Powers Cost: 234