Affects items carried

[Sean Waters]

I asked Mr Long about this:

 

Affects items carried: I was looking at this adder for force fields in 5ER 178.

 

Can you tell me: does carrying require that you actually have the item/person off the ground, or just that you are capable of getting them off the ground and have contact (perhaps by a grab). How many limbs do you need to devote to 'carrying' and how, if at all, does using the adder diminish the carrier's ability to attack others?

 

He said he'd already said enough in 5ER and the FAQ.

 

I've looked in the 5ER and the FAQ (in fact I checked before I posted the question) and can't see anything addressing this: can anyone help?

[MitchellS]

Re: Affects items carried

 

Grabbed characters are only covered by the force field if the owner of the ff wants them to be. There appears to be no specific amount of contact required. I'd assume there is a limit to the number of people one person can carry just due to body size alone. I'd say 2 is the limit you can easily grab and 4 would be the limit as far as hanging off the body around the character.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Affects items carried

 

Thanks for your comments, seems live a pretty cheap way of doing UBO to me, especially if you can cover up to 4 others. The other thing I was thinking of was giving objects thatyou don't pick up extra DEF: eg the villain is trying to break through a door to get to you: can you grab the door handle and 're-inforce' the door?

 

I like the idea of the adder, it just seems ill-defined at present.

[MitchellS]

Re: Affects items carried

 

Well 4 was just what I would consider to be the extreme most. When I GM I'd probably only allow 1 and for emergencies 2. I don't think it's a bad adder, though I've yet to see a character in play or published with it. I tend to dislike UBO as I find it inconsistent with how so many other things work within the 5E system.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Affects items carried

 

Then, or course, you have some wiseacre with a character we'll call Kali: growth, high strength and multiple limbs, and a force field with this adder in a team with a bunch of energy blasters.

 

Phase 12: sweep grab the entire team to give them the benefit of your defences, making them virtually invulnerable.

 

Phase 3: blast away.

 

Repeat until victory.

 

Ho-hum.....

 

Or the amazing 'Can't hurt me twins', each with a 25/25 force field with this adder, and an energy blast and flight.

 

Phase 12: hug, boosting each FF to 50/50

 

Phase 3: blast away.

 

Repeat until victory....

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Affects items carried

 

I would define it as not being a casual contact, but one where touching represents a significant effort on the part of the user.

 

I would allow someone to cover the door (but realize damage that goes though the force field and the door is going to the user) and this would represent putting himself completely up against the door (not just touching the door knob). That haymaker is going to hurt.

 

To cover other people should be also difficult both for the user and the person covered. While wrapping someone in a cloak to protect them could be valid, it shouldn't be as simple as a hand on the shoulder. To do battle while protected should take minuses to OCV and DCV or risk "slipping out" of the defense.

 

It's not designed to be a Force Wall.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Affects items carried

 

I would define it as not being a casual contact, but one where touching represents a significant effort on the part of the user.

 

I would allow someone to cover the door (but realize damage that goes though the force field and the door is going to the user) and this would represent putting himself completely up against the door (not just touching the door knob). That haymaker is going to hurt.

 

To cover other people should be also difficult both for the user and the person covered. While wrapping someone in a cloak to protect them could be valid, it shouldn't be as simple as a hand on the shoulder. To do battle while protected should take minuses to OCV and DCV or risk "slipping out" of the defense.

 

It's not designed to be a Force Wall.

 

Hmm. The power adder as writ specifically says the person covered is not hindered in making attacks, and I'm not sure you automatically take feedback type damage if the covered object is hit, although that would be a significant limitation if it was applied.

 

The more I think about it the less clear I become as to how it can usefully be used without becoming too powerful

 

Ah well, I'll worry about it when it happens

[Dust Raven]

Re: Affects items carried

 

I look at "carried" as being almost litteral. If you want to apply it to another character, you have to Grab them, which will reduce the DCV of both the grabber and the character grabbed. This balances things out in my opinions.