Mental Powers Based on DEX

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

Well that's my brainstorm' date=' so now please shoot holes in this construct.[/quote']

Wouldn't you just 'dodge' it so the criticism would hit some other poor, unsuspecting construct instead?

 

Did you leave out an Advantage? The way it looks to me, it should be 34 Active and 17 Real.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

You might also look at just making it a special effect. You could buy appropriate Attack Powers for the character, with Indirect, and a Limitation "Only of the type and up to the amount of an attack being used by someone in HTH range" (-3/4 or -1, probably).

 

Mechanically, the character would still be attacking the target with some Power. But in terms of SFX, it would look like this other guy was attacking the target.

[Guest daeudi_454]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

Another method would be a martial block, and having the Weapon Element- other people. The you are using someone else to block, they take the damage from the hit, and the special effect is a redirect. Obviously this would require an OAF, bulky, and expendable. Probably a RSR as well...

 

(For those of you who laugh, I once saw a centaur in a fantasy hero game take goblins as a weapon element. The Gm allowed it because that was the way the centaur had been fighting those battles for months.)

[Guest daeudi_454]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

Oh- I forget if it was USPD, DH, or something else... wasn't there a power called "Protect Me" or the like?

It was a teleport UAA, based on a mind Control SFX, that put someone else in the path of an attack....

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

Wouldn't you just 'dodge' it so the criticism would hit some other poor, unsuspecting construct instead?

 

Did you leave out an Advantage? The way it looks to me, it should be 34 Active and 17 Real.

 

I think I got the price right (for once); 10 STR Telekinesis is 15 pts, total Advantage of +1¾ (for Trigger, 0 END, and Fully Invisible), which gives 15x2.75=41.25 pts. And of course I would use it to dodge the critcism except I only have 17 free XP and not the 20 I would need.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

I think I got the price right (for once); 10 STR Telekinesis is 15 pts' date=' total Advantage of +1¾ (for Trigger, 0 END, and Fully Invisible), which gives 15x2.75=41.25 pts. And of course I would use it to dodge the critcism except I only have 17 free XP and not the 20 I would need. [/quote']

So you did. You just left out the "(+1/2)" after the 0 END when you typed it up, and I missed the fact that you'd left it out when I tallied the total Advantages.

[zornwil]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

IMHO, the real issue here isn't that the guy throwing the punch was tricked at all. The issue was that he simply missed, and another target was in the way. Theoretically this could be resolved with missed shot rules, though the probability of hitting the other guy becomes low.

 

As a deliberate ability, I like Missile Reflection, that really seems to be the mechanical equivalent to me.

 

Even before I read the Invis/Images possibility, I considered Images as a path. That makes sense, too, mechanically, to me. Then you can add in that the attack goes against the other target, and normally the other target is surprised. The advantage of Images is its PER-based resistance, which fits perfectly with the idea raised about the attacker's INT playing a role. I would link any such Images mechanic to a successful Dodge maneuver or successful defense (the latter could be set up as a Trigger - actually that would make the most sense - Images, Trigger Only for Misses).

 

A funky option is Desolid, IPE, with suitable Lims (including "Only vs attack", in this case a Lim), along with monitoring the effect of missed shots. This forces the player to turn the power on and use it in a phase, which is mechanically consistent as he's typically not going to attack, he has to be dodging or such.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

Martial Maneuver

5 pt's, redirect, takes one phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Block, requires that you have an action, indirect (same origion, always comes from the one attacking you; +1/4),

 

now that is one way I'd do it.

 

Now you can do it as a simple attack action.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

You might also look at just making it a special effect. You could buy appropriate Attack Powers for the character, with Indirect, and a Limitation "Only of the type and up to the amount of an attack being used by someone in HTH range" (-3/4 or -1, probably).

 

Mechanically, the character would still be attacking the target with some Power. But in terms of SFX, it would look like this other guy was attacking the target.

 

The only problem I have with this type of build is how limiting it is. Should I buy it, even with Variable SFX, I would be limited to a particular attack/damage type. What's more, the supposed "attacker" would still have their action. Imagine three guys all with a power like this, all using it so that the same guy looks like he's attacking everybody, plus gets his own actions to boot.

 

Now imagine it with a guy who doesn't even use that kind of attack.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

Okay, I've been thinking it over some more, and I think I might have it.

 

Basically, I's similar to the Based On CON Limitation (which I feel is worth much much more than a measly -1, but anyway...).

 

Based on DEX would make the Mental Power an OCV versus OCV attack that works at normal range, with normal range penalties against a standard DEF (PD/ED, or rPD/rED), and would be visible to three sense groups.

 

For the effects I'm thinking of, it should have AVLD versus some kind of logical defense. I'd suggest INT in the case of the "I dodge and you shoot your friend instead of me" effect. A smart, observant target would see through the purpose of the maneuver and not fall for it as easily. It's based on DEX because it's primarily about reactions. A fast, agile character would simply compensate for the sudden motion or manage to attack before the character moved into/out of possition.

 

Assuming the above is workable, what values should each have? I'm assuming the Based on DEX would be a Limitation of course, but it's not as limiting as Based on CON.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

The only problem I have with this type of build is how limiting it is. Should I buy it, even with Variable SFX, I would be limited to a particular attack/damage type. What's more, the supposed "attacker" would still have their action. Imagine three guys all with a power like this, all using it so that the same guy looks like he's attacking everybody, plus gets his own actions to boot.

 

Now imagine it with a guy who doesn't even use that kind of attack.

Note that I said "Powers". Plural. You'd probably want a Multipower with various attack types.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

This is starting to look like a cereal bowl build to me.

 

The original Golden Age of Champions supplement had a rule for this. I'll dig it out tonight if I remember and post it here. I think it treated it as a combat maneuver; you had to set up your target by making an OCV vs. DCV roll, effectively using the Cover maneuver, then saving your other half-phase to do a Dodge when your sucker attacks.

[Black Rose]

Re: Mental Powers Based on DEX

 

This is starting to look like a cereal bowl build to me.

 

The original Golden Age of Champions supplement had a rule for this. I'll dig it out tonight if I remember and post it here. I think it treated it as a combat maneuver; you had to set up your target by making an OCV vs. DCV roll, effectively using the Cover maneuver, then saving your other half-phase to do a Dodge when your sucker attacks.

AFAIC, this should only be a Martial Maneuver; making a big ol' power construct is going too far. It's not something that should be doable by Joe Schmoe, sure, but I think it's learnable. You'd need Attacker and Target to be in a straight line, with you between, and simply get Attacker to attack in a manner which would hit Target provided you weren't there. I definitely think it should be part of the Cinematic Fisticuffs style.