BODY drain vs. electrical devices

[BlueBuddha]

One of my players has been trying to come up with an EM pulse-like power to shut down elecrical devices. We tried an entangle, suppress, SPD drain, dispel, and maybe 1 or 2 others I don't remember. This time he suggested a BODY drain. I was about to say no when I thought about it.

 

1. It will work automatically against foci despite their DEF, but
   
2. the active points in the BODY drain will return after a couple turns, thus reactivating the device without damaging it. Also, I could buy Power Defense for the devices, defined as EM shielding.
   

This is something I never thought of, but seems to handle the power fairly well. The next question, however, is should I house-rule the effects to represent objects that always have only 1 BODY. A 60 AP BODY Drain will drain 21 CPs worth of BODY, completely deactivating an object for 5-6 turns, or well beyond the duration of most fights.

 

1. Should I give foci an automatic Power Defense, perhaps equal to its DEF?
   
2. Shoud I house-rule a lessening of effect such as when you drain a defensive characteristic or power? How much should I reduce it?
   

[BlueBuddha]

And then I read the rules again. An object that has it's BODY drained crumbes to dust.

 

Should I outlaw this power completely, or run it like above?

[Blackjack]

Re: BODY drain vs. electrical devices

 

I have a character who has a similar power built in a similar fashion for the same reasons you cite. The power works very well for frying electrical devices, esp. if you Limit the power so that it specifically cannot harm anything else. Of course, how much such a Limitation would be worth depends on your judgment and your campaign... With the Limitation, he won't be tempted to use the attack on "non-machines," which tends to balance out it's use...

 

I'll be curious to hear what you finally decide. Please let us know...

[Dust Raven]

Re: BODY drain vs. electrical devices

 

I don't use Drain BODY for an EMP-like attack in my games because it doesn't cover everything that an EMP attack should do. Like mess up cybernetics and electronics not bought with a Focus. A typically EMP, mimicing the best comicbook reality (and reality in general), is a Dispel versus all Electronics Powers, with Explosion (sometimes bought with a longer fade). What this will do is allow the EMP to affect simple electronics (low AP) more than complex electronics that are likely to have shielding (high AP), and have a generally greater effect on electronics closer to the blast. If the electronic Power is a Focus, it's broken. If it's not a Focus, it shuts down and needs to be turned back on (which is sometimes the only problem with this build, because if it's not a Focus, it can be turned back on).

 

If you wanted to disable non-foci electronics, you can link a Transform or a Drain (versus Electronics) to the Dispel. I tend to leave it, saying that if the Electronics Power wasn't bought as a Focus, that means it has enough shielding to be relatively unaffected, though it might still flicker or need to be restarted.

[Blackjack]

Re: BODY drain vs. electrical devices

 

You're right, Dust Raven. That's why my character's MP includes several different versions of EMP: the BODY Drain, a Dispel, a Suppress, even a Flash that blinds radio and radar emisssions (Radio Sense Group)...

 

EMP: Hours of fun for the whole family...

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: BODY drain vs. electrical devices

 

Suppress sounds maybe more like what you're looking for. Dispel explicitly destroys Foci that are dispelled.

[Dust Raven]

Re: BODY drain vs. electrical devices

 

Suppress sounds maybe more like what you're looking for. Dispel explicitly destroys Foci that are dispelled.

 

The destruction of the device is exactly what the EMP would do. Sure, it doesn't crumble to dust, but it's still a worthless lumb of metal. Same difference. The EMP might cause a slight flicker in some systems without shutting them down, but it's not a sustained "flicker". It's instant. Of course, in a comicbook adventure universe, anything is possible.

[prestidigitator]

Re: BODY drain vs. electrical devices

 

Actually, in regard to the Dispel you may not even need to worry about cybernetics in some campaigns, as they might be built with Restrainable where things like EMPs are commonplace. If that is the case you (well, the GM, so you might have to consult if you are a player) can just rule that the EMP is one appropriate way of (temporarily) restraining the cybernetics. You might Link in a RKA that only works against targets with cybernetics, though, just to give them a bigger headache.