POWER DEFENSE Works 1-for-1 Against Negative (C)SLs!?

[zornwil]

Re: POWER DEFENSE Works 1-for-1 Against Negative ©SLs!?

 

Well said. I agree 100%.

 

There are certain unusual attacks (Flash, mental attacks) which are fairly easy to justify purchasing the appropriate defenses if the attacks are encountered relatively frequently. Polarized goggles and mental discipline can plausibly provide a certain level of defenses against these attacks (I'm pretty certain every member of the X-Men has Mental Defense; it's pretty easy to explain when they have powerful mentalists to train against.) But other exotic attacks, such as Drains, become a lot harder to rationalize for most characters because the attacks differ so widely in sfx. A BODY Drain might be blooddrinking by a vampire, soul sucking by a demon, toxic drugs, an "anti-life" field, lethal radiation, and endless other possibilities.

 

That's why I wish all Adjustment Powers were sfx-specific, and so too should their defenses be, just as Missile Deflection is dependent on the sfx of the attack it's deflecting rather than the fact it's an EB or RKA. It costs more to deflect lasers than bullets. Why is that, when it didn't cost the attacker more to buy his RKA as a laser rather than as a slug thrower?

 

As to SFX-specific, absolutely. PowDef has become its own worst enemy; at the least there ought to be some sort of discussion of SFX rationalization, but then that complicates the rulebook even more. As this topic evolves, I feel even more strongly that it should be eliminated and treated as AVLD or NND (at least in cases where it isn't simply PD or ED), and appropriately defined. The simplification can be mitigated by some discussion of how to handle this fairly, how to create sufficiently large but non-abusive attack/defense SFX, that sort of thing. Reflecting back, I think it was a bigger system mistake not to simply have defined Adjustment Powers and now Negative CSLs as simply working by default against normal PD/ED, and letting those chips fall where they may have as opposed to where it's gone at this point.

 

Anyway, as to this rule of PowDef vs Negative CSLs, yuck yuck yuck. I'm surprised Steve didn't give his more standard (and in my view more correct) answer "it's just SFX", so if one's PowDef is the right SFX against the CSL SFX, great, it works, if not it doesn't. At least then the ever-vaguely defined "I'm just lucky!" PowDef has a rationale to work however wonky and the specific "My PowDef is based on my amazing manipulation of chemical forces!" probably shouldn't work against "My Negative CSL represents my sleight of hand trickiness, confusing your eyes!". Not that GMs can't do this sort of adjudication on their own regardless of rules, though.

 

While I recognize it would be a mistake to implement what I do in my game in the system at large, I long ago eliminated (actually never ran) PowDef, and substituted Supernatural Defense as the default target of Adjustment Powers, seeing them more often as magical (obviously that's campaign/personal-specific, so that's why it doesn't make sense in the overall game, though it was nice to see Arcane Defense in FH). The important effect has nothing to do with having Supernatural energy as its own specific damage/defense area, but rather in making the nature of such energy exchanges no longer so vague and open-ended, though that nature is left open via AVLD and NND.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: POWER DEFENSE Works 1-for-1 Against Negative ©SLs!?

 

As to SFX-specific, absolutely. PowDef has become its own worst enemy; at the least there ought to be some sort of discussion of SFX rationalization, but then that complicates the rulebook even more. As this topic evolves, I feel even more strongly that it should be eliminated and treated as AVLD or NND (at least in cases where it isn't simply PD or ED), and appropriately defined. The simplification can be mitigated by some discussion of how to handle this fairly, how to create sufficiently large but non-abusive attack/defense SFX, that sort of thing. Reflecting back, I think it was a bigger system mistake not to simply have defined Adjustment Powers and now Negative CSLs as simply working by default against normal PD/ED, and letting those chips fall where they may have as opposed to where it's gone at this point.

This was very well said. Adjustment powers and Power Defence really do need an overhaul. I like the idea of dropping the costs down and applying them, as a default, to conventional defences. The basic premise of Power Defence has always stiuck in my craw too. What are the SFX of power Defence? Well... it's pretty easy to justify... letsee... magic. mutant powers. supertech.

In other words... any Deus Ex Machina SFX.

Now explain how to justify Power Defence without using some catchall "it can do anything" FX.

Uh. Uh.

Gimme a sec.

And here we are... Powersuit man has 20 power defence, because he has supertech. It stops a wide variety of Focus killer effects: Drains, dispels, transforms, supresses. Its pretty important. So why does it stop mystical bolts of lifeforce-B-gone?

Uh. 'Cause it does.

uh. 'Cause my GM wouldn't let me take Not vs. Magic on top of my focus limit for a defence that's already way to effective for the point cost?

 

Somethings gonna have to give, eventually.

Perhaps, if adjustment powers and power def are going to continue in the same form they currently are in, what's needed is a list of Meta-FX, similar in function to Sense Groups and Mind Types.

This sounds like a new thread. Hmmm.

I'll do that.