Triggers

[Willpower]

How long does it take to set a trigger. I am wondering because I looked in the book and it mentions that a power with a trigger needs to be reset whenever the trigger goes off, but aside from an example that uses extra time, it doesn't mention how long it takes to set up a trigger.

 

I can see three alternatives. Activating a power is a Zero Phase action, so setting a trigger could be done as easily as saying its set when you can next do a zero phase action. The second way I could see it is simply taking a half phase to set the trigger. The third way I could see it is taking how long it takes to use the power. For example if you have a movement power set on a trigger, it might take a full phase to set because to use the full power would take a full phase.

 

The specific reason I am asking this is because a character in my new group has taken several powers set up with the "And now I am Gone" option for the Shadow Boxing power in the online USPD for teleport powers. Basically, he can attack, and then the attack triggers a teleport that teleports him somewhere else. As he does this many times during an encounter I need to know how long it takes him to reset the trigger on the power.

[Steve Long]

Funny you should ask, since I just wrote a lengthy article discussing/expanding Trigger as my "HEROglyphs" column for the next issue of Digital Hero. In it I define a Half Phase Action as the default for setting a Trigger, with options for increasing or decreasing that time. You can use that, if you like, or establish some other time period that makes sense for your campaign.