Power construct question (lock on, delayed, homing)

[Rerednaw]

Rocketman acquires a target and locks on. He fires a cluster of homing missiles at the target. Targetdummy evades for several phases and manages to dodge several, a few others run out of fuel and land harmlessly in the ocean, one missile accidentally locks onto another hero, one is missile deflected then comes back around for another pass, one missile misses a tight turn and explodes into a passing automobile and two missiles still manage to strike.

 

I am scratching my head trying to come up with a way to come up with the construct for this.

 

Any ideas welcome.

 

Cheers.

[Derek Hiemforth]

I think the best solution for "tracking" attacks is Summon. Design the missiles as little characters (probably automatons with computer guidance) with their own Flight, HKA, etc., and simply Summon them and sic them on the target.

[Blue]

Heh. I like the summon idea, that's pretty clever.

 

Missiles that acquire the wrong target might be "side effects". Autofire might simulate multiple missiles. Multiple RSRs might simulate missiles that fly off course.

 

Perhaps a nap will help me think better. Back in an hour

[Fedifensor]

An advantage I created years ago, that may do what you're looking for:

 

Seeking (+1/2) - This Advantage allows an attack that has missed a target to keep making attack rolls in successive Phases until it hits. END is paid for each phase, and the character must dedicate a half-Phase attack action each Phase to maintain the power. Each shot is as if the character was firing from the hex occupied by the target in the previous phase, including range penalties - in other words, don't stand still if you're the target of a seeking blast. By combining this power with Uncontrolled, 'fire and forget' attacks can be made. The condition for stopping an Uncontrolled Seeking attack is usually to dodge out of the way when next to a hard surface, or making an attack roll at the firing character's DCV +2 (treating the attack as if it was a focus).

 

It comes from my Wonders of Energy Blast article, which can be found at the following URL:

http://www.peakpeak.com/~fedifensor/games/hero/eb.htm

[Acroyear]

Lock On: Use the Cover maneuver. Blow the roll, didn't lock on. Make the roll, and you locked on. Buy levels with "Cover" as a targeting computer or something if you want.

 

Homing Missiles... Fire when you get the lock on (succeed with your attack roll with the cover maneuver). Limitation: Use delayed effect, the effect does not land for X phases (let's say 6). Reduce by 1 Phase for every 1 you made the roll by. Can be missile deflected at any time from the "hit roll" to "damage taking effect."

 

So the mechanic is you hit right away. The SFX is that the missiles are chasing the target during the "time delay." Including around corners, down hallways, zipping through closing doors, etc. If you want you can add more limitations indicating the projectiles fail to hit if the target "closes himself off" from them before then (for example, he jumps into a bank vault and closes the door... the missiles hit the door. Without the lim, the missiles always manage to make it through the door, hot on his tail).

 

A salvo of missiles could be autofire or simply the SFX of a larger attack. (eg: 4d6 RKA "5 Missile Salvo")...or something. You can have a lot of fun with SFX. It's one of Hero's best strengths.

[torgo]

I like the summon idea and might actually use it. how would y'all recommend building the summoned missiles?

[Derek Hiemforth]

It would depend on what you wanted the missile to do. It would certainly be an Automaton, because you couldn't STUN the missile (for example). It would have whatever DEX and SPD you wanted it to have for chasing the target. Flight. Killing Attack (probably HKA since it would have to hit the target) possibly with Explosion, and definitely with 1 Charge, Charge Never Recovers, and a big-ass Side Effect that using it destroys the missile. IR Vision if you wanted it to be heat-seeking. A simple Computer for a guidance system, with an INT for basing PER rolls on, and probably just a single program (seek and destroy target).

[Monolith]

Originally posted by torgo

I like the summon idea and might actually use it. how would y'all recommend building the summoned missiles?

There is a version of it in the USPD called Nega-Beams.

[torgo]

Forgive my ignorance, but I don't know what the USPD is.

[Kid Chaos]

USPD = Until Super Powers Database

 

A very useful product. Even my poor M&M playing friends use my copy.

[torgo]

this is how I ended up building the summon missile power and the homing missiles themselves. Let me know if there's a better way, or if I've done anything wrong.

 

the summon:

 

Summon 225-point Guided missile, 16 Charges (+0), Amicable Slavishly Devoted (+1) (90 Active Points)

 

 

The missile:

 

Val Char Cost

0 STR -10

38 DEX 84

0 CON -20

1 BODY -18

14 INT 4

0 EGO 0

0 PRE -10

0 COM -5

 

0 PD 0

0 ED 0

6 SPD 12

0 REC 0

0 END 0

 

 

0" RUN -12

0" SWIM -2

0" LEAP 0

Characteristics Cost: 23

 

Cost Power

45 Automaton (Takes No STUN (loses abilities when takes BODY))

10 Endurance Reserve (100 END, 0 REC)

56 Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 4d6 (vs. ED), Trigger: body damage (Misfire +1/4), Explosion (+1/2), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2), Damage Shield (+1/2), Offensive (+1/4), Continuous (+1) (240 Active Points); Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2), No STR Bonus (-1/2), Only works with successful move-through (-1/2), Only full effect (-1/4)

12 +6 with Flight

50 Flight 40", Usable Underwater (+1/4) (100 Active Points); No deceleration (-1/2), No Noncombat Movement (-1/4), Only full effect (-1/4) (uses END Reserve)

24 Detect target 16-, Increased Arc of Perception: 360-Degree, Sense, Targeting Sense

5 Infrared Perception

Powers Cost: 202

 

 

Total Character Cost: 225

 

Pts. Disadvantage

100 Just a guided missile and all that that implies

Disadvantage Points: 100

Base Points: 125

[astralfrontier]

Er....

 

Here's possibly a simpler solution.

 

END Reserve, some high value, with REC limited to "only when reloading missiles".

 

Energy Blast, Nd6, for some appropriate value of N.

 

Area Effect (one hex, accurate) +1/2

Continuous +1

Uncontrolled +1/2 (attack is stopped by finding sufficient cover, jamming the radar, etc.)

Activation (choose some appropriate level)

 

What this leaves you:

 

A power which attacks a flat DCV of 3, lasts for as long as you've provided END for it, and doesn't always hit. A Constant Power that requires Activation will keep rolling the Activation for every Phase in which you want to use it, so this isn't a guaranteed hit with every shot. It will, however, keep coming after someone until the GM agrees that the condition to shut off Uncontrolled has happened.