Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

[Guardian]

Special Effect:

The NPC doesn't seem to be in the least bit fazed by whatever the PCs are throwing at her. Energy blasts, killing attacks, etc just seem to fizzle out harmlessly upon striking her.

 

In reality, she is actually suffering huge amounts of damage, but has a magical spell "Illusion of Invincibility" which is making her appear unharmed. So do the players keep tossing powers at her until she drops over dead (causing huge angst from the player with Code vs Killing), or do they stop their attacks and actually try a diplomatic solution when their attacks apparantly have no effect? Or do they figure the deception out, through special senses or the like first?

 

So how would you build this power?

I was initially just considering Images, 0 END persistant (to keep the effect up if stunned). But the more I think about it, I might have to add in Knockback Resistance 20 points, or an EGO boost to keep from crying out in pain.

 

Any other suggestions? Does this seem to be exceptionally evil as a GM, (potentially causing bad player feelings) or does it strike you more as just clever and a reasonable plot device?

[MCMaenza]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

It sounds like a pretty nasty GM plot device. Good for you!

 

I remember an article from one of the very first Adventurers' Club that featured a group called the Gold. Members were: Goldrush (a speedster), Goldbrick (a brick) and Goldmind (a mentalist). While they had huge offensive powers and were hard to hit, they're defenses sucked big time. One really really powerful hit by your heroes and you'd have dead villain on their hands (literally). It was an interesting article/scenario to sort of help your characters to learn to know what they're facing before they unleash all their might. I did use these characters once on a god-like character PC in a solo game - it was a very humbling lesson when he severely hospitalized the trio. And his actions brought bad PR upon the rest of the player team too.

[Lethosos]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Upon consideration... I would buy this up as Images, straight up--they don't know if the person is knocked back or not, and it's primarily GM's Fiat that it's the way this particular illusion works.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Hmmm...I found myself remembering The Champ, from 4th Ed Alien Enemies, who had Invisible Power Effects on his Missile Deflection, so he seemed to be well-nigh invulnerable, soaking up huge amounts of damage, when it simply never touched him. I know that's not the case here...rather the opposite...but I can't help but wonder if there isn't a way to do the job using Invisible Power Effects.

 

Unfortunately, the only thing that occurs to me off the top of my head is a Naked Advantage of Invisible Power Effects, bought Usable As an Attack, so the attacks of others, directed against this character, have no visible damaging effect despite how effective they really are...

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

I think a case could also be made for either Shape Shift or Invisibility to the Sense Groups you want to cover, Limited to "Only To Conceal Effects Of Damage." If one of those Sense Groups included Sound, that ought to cover any involuntary pain noises. Knockback Resistance would be a good idea, though, to maintain verisimilitude.

[CBikle]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

I'd be curious to hear how this scenario played out and the player's reactions to it.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Body and Stun bought with IPE...?

 

Or perhaps a form of Mental Illusions?

[Guardian]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm amazed that I received responses so quickly, just a few hours after my post. My only other experience with bulletin boards was at the HackMaster RPG site, and that was NOT a good experience with other posters apparently able to only be either rude, insulting, or condescending.

 

The Naked Advantage/IPE/UBO effect is really interesting, but I think it would be cumbersome with the necessity for making attack rolls, using up action phases, etc.

 

I like the simplicity of Invisibility "Only to conceal damage" suggested by Lord Liaden. That power would allow me to "set it and forget it", and not have to make multiple rolls later through a combat. It would also probably be the cheapest points-wise of some of the other options. Better than the Images idea I had originally.

 

I'll have to remember this power for a future PC, as it could be a useful way for a Brick character to appear fully invulnerable, yet still be able to stay within the Defense Power limits for the individual campaign.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm amazed that I received responses so quickly' date=' just a few hours after my post. My only other experience with bulletin boards was at the HackMaster RPG site, and that was NOT a good experience with other posters apparently able to only be either rude, insulting, or condescending.[/quote']

We're generally a pretty responsive & helpful group around here -- even if you don't get exactly what you wanted, you're sure to get lots of comments and suggestions that will probably spark ideas, often along the lines of "Hey...I never looked at xxxxxxxxx that way before." In fact, most of the time the real trick is to get us to shut up.

 

Things can get a little heated from time to time -- there are some things about the rules that have garnered very definite and very opposed viewpoints on how they do or should work -- but for the most part it's pretty polite.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

We're generally a pretty responsive & helpful group around here -- even if you don't get exactly what you wanted, you're sure to get lots of comments and suggestions that will probably spark ideas, often along the lines of "Hey...I never looked at xxxxxxxxx that way before." In fact, most of the time the real trick is to get us to shut up.

 

Things can get a little heated from time to time -- there are some things about the rules that have garnered very definite and very opposed viewpoints on how they do or should work -- but for the most part it's pretty polite.

Oh hush!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Vanguard]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

I would be careful with this.

 

Depending on your group's mentality, if they see that "nothing is happening" to their target they might get discouraged and give up.

 

I know that was a big sticking point with my first GM. We'd be in a fight and he'd say "Nothing happens" when one of us would attack.

 

Now, granted, he wouldn't even look at the dice or wait for us to tally up the damage before he said that and if your players see you doing something (even if it's just scribbly doodles on a piece of scratch paper) then every thing might work out.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

...

 

Things can get a little heated from time to time -- there are some things about the rules that have garnered very definite and very opposed viewpoints on how they do or should work -- but for the most part it's pretty polite.

 

I resemble that remark.

 

HM

[Bloodstone]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Do any of the players have code vs killing and, if so, is the NPC in risk of being killed beofre the Illusion drops?

 

'Cause honestly, at the point where I'm fighting my hardest and can't seem to dent somone with my normal attacks, that's when I pull out the "big guns". In the case of my favorite brick that involves being buffed by the team supermage and unleashing a 34 DC attack in a campaign that is normally limited to 12 DC's...

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

I would be careful with this.

 

Depending on your group's mentality, if they see that "nothing is happening" to their target they might get discouraged and give up.

 

I know that was a big sticking point with my first GM. We'd be in a fight and he'd say "Nothing happens" when one of us would attack.

 

Now, granted, he wouldn't even look at the dice or wait for us to tally up the damage before he said that and if your players see you doing something (even if it's just scribbly doodles on a piece of scratch paper) then every thing might work out.

 

Whenever something like that happens to me, I always assume that it's an Achilles fight; the enemy is completely invincible except for this ONE flaw, which you have to discern and exploit.

 

Well, okay, FIRST I assume, in character, it's an illusion and it's not getting hurt because it's not there, THEN I assume, out of character, that the GM is handing me an Achilles fight.

[The Souljourner]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Images and knockback resistance is perfect, I think. You don't really need anything else.

 

And yeah, my first assumption is always that it's an illusion (except when she hits you back)... but that may just be from my D&D experience.

 

-Nate

[Guest WhammeWhamme]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Just a thought:

 

How about a modification: A Side Effect, where the _user_ of the spell doesn't know it isn't working.

 

"I am INVINCIBL-aaarg"

[Lucius]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Buy the advantage "Invisible Power Effects" on BOD and STUN....

 

Lucius Alexander

 

"Would that work?" asks the palindromedary

[Vanguard]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

Whenever something like that happens to me, I always assume that it's an Achilles fight; the enemy is completely invincible except for this ONE flaw, which you have to discern and exploit.

 

Well, okay, FIRST I assume, in character, it's an illusion and it's not getting hurt because it's not there, THEN I assume, out of character, that the GM is handing me an Achilles fight.

 

LOL. There is that. And, currently, I'd think exactly the same thing. Previously, well, I would be tearing my hair out in frustration because the GM WOULD create something that none of the PC's could hurt and then realize he made a boo-boo and either have one of his Godawful powerful NPC's come and save us or something cheesy would happen and we'd win the fight.

[Guardian]

Re: Build ? : "Invisible to Damage"

 

I love the term "Achilles fight". Personally, I have always liked those type of battles myself, as one has to rely more on brains and utilizing the environment than just the old D&D mindset of running up and bashing repeatedly with your strongest attack.

 

The players in our group range from age 32 to 40, and include a physician, a lawyer, and a PhD in History. So no, I'm not worried about frustrating them with a mental challenge.