Side Effects attached to Foci

[NotSoSuperman]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this one but can't quite come up with an answer. If a character has several powers (not necessarily in a Framework) attached to a single Focus, and you want that Focus to have some sort of detrimental effect if damaged/destroyed, how would you build it? For example, a wizard has a magical pendant that, when destroyed, Inflicts an EB, banishes him to the Phantom Zone, etc. Would you buy this as a Side Effect that always occurs when an action is taken, and if so, whould you buy it for each power with that particular Focus Limitation?

[Lanith]

Re: Side Effects attached to Foci

 

If I remember correctly the DEF and Body of a Foci can be determined based on the Active Points it "contains". Now as for your question, how do you buy the detrimental effect for when the object is destroyed...I would think that a very low limitation, or no point limitation, that is a Side Effect.

 

EX: Wand of Fireballs, 4d6 EBlast, AE:One Hex +1/2 (AP:30) Charges 10 -0, OAF -1, If destroyed all remaining charges fire in holders hex -1/4 (Total: 13) (Note: Points aren't perfect, I might be wrong on the advantages/disadvante costs)

[Sean Waters]

Re: Side Effects attached to Foci

 

Can't really buy it as a side effect IMO: doesn't go off enough to justify a limitation, and potentially could be useful: you may want 10 fireballs all to go off at once, and deliberately break the wand (from a distance!) to accomplish it.

 

You could buy it: in the example given you could buy a 4d6 (20 ap) autofire (x10 or as many charges as left whichever is lesser) (bought as autofire 5: +1/2) one hex AE (+1/2) trigger (wand broken) (+1/4) total ap: 45, with one charge that never recovers (-4) No range (-1/2) and OAF (-1) for a total of 7 additional real points.

 

Or you could just make it a -0 limitation and assume the potential goodness is balanced by the potential badness and have done.

[Blue]

Re: Side Effects attached to Foci

 

It's easiest as a multipower, if you were going to go that route. I'd spend the few points on an addtional Ultra slot of explosion at no range that is only triggered by the destruction of the focus; It's pretty inexpensive that way.

 

That gives it the added dimension of perhaps turning the item into an exploding weapon in a dire situation. (To slow the moving vehicle as it speeds toward the pedestrians, Focus-Man throws his beloved object under the wheels of the tires, destroying it and disabling the car)

[NotSoSuperman]

Re: Side Effects attached to Foci

 

The fireball probably isn't the best example, since it affects the character's environment rather than just the character himself. What I'm thinking about here is, for example, a personal EB or something equally detrimental that only affects the focus's user (and unavoidably at that).

[Dust Raven]

Re: Side Effects attached to Foci

 

I'm definately seeing this as a Side Effect. A breakable Focus has DEF equal to the Active Points/5 of the highest Active Point Power in it. Each time an attack hits the Focus for more BODY than its DEF, it loses one Power. The Powers are typically lost in order of decending Active Points with any Power providing DEF always being last, though in some cases it could depend on the SFX of the Focus or the attack that damaged it to determine the order Powers are lost.

 

What I'd suggest is to determine which Power is likely to be the last Power lost if the Focus is repeatedly damaged and apply the Side Effect to that Power. If for some reason that ends up not being the last Power lost, it's still on the character sheet and common sense should prevail. Since the last Power lost would usually be the one with the lowest Active Points, the bonus from the Side Effect shouldn't be so much that it's unbalances the character if the Focus isn't destroyed too often.

[MikeyMitchell]

Re: Side Effects attached to FociAnother idea would be to take this as a Susceptibility. Takes xD6 when Focus is stolen, lost, broken, or otherwise violates manufacturer's warranty.

[Ganesh]

Re: Side Effects attached to Foci

Another idea would be to take this as a Susceptibility. Takes xD6 when Focus is stolen' date=' lost, broken, or otherwise violates manufacturer's warranty.

[/quote']I'm with him. There's a condition that looks a lot like a disadvatnage associated with the focus...it has nothing to do with the power's activation, for one thing.It's a little odd to think of a disadvantage being attached to a focus, rather than a character, but there are other situations where it makes sense as well...an Iron Man clone whose armor gets trashed by electrical or magnetic effects could easily take it as a susceptability. After all, needing to refuel and repair it or suffer problems is a Dependence--one of the cannonical ones.Now, if the magic amulet or whatever was rebuildable, and you could toss it to the villian (Catch!) and shoot it to send him to the phantom zone, then things get a little odder...

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Side Effects attached to Foci

 

It's a little odd to think of a disadvantage being attached to a focus' date=' rather than a character...[/quote']

Really? Fantasy stories are full of magical items that have bad effects on the user (usually building up over time) -- the classic one is the One Ring.

 

On the "tech" end of things, when (someone - can't remember his name just now) was wearing the Iron Man armor for a long time, it was slowly driving him nuts since the armor's systems were built & calibrated for Tony Stark's nervous system, not this other wearer's.