Blowing up your own power armor

[DataPacRat]

Most power armor I've seen uses up lots of power; so much so that, if its batteries were made of non-superscience material, it wouldn't be able to contain it all without exploding. So, naturally, I mentioned in my newest power-armor PC that that's happened to her now and then in the past, and she's reinforced the armor around the power cells to prevent that.

 

But, tonight, I started wondering if it might be possible for her to /use/ that, in a last-ditch, all-the-marbles, one-shot blast. (Well, one-shot until she goes back to her lab for her backup battery, anyway.)

 

The reason I'm posting here, is that I'm not entirely sure how to /build/ the thing, and am hoping for advice.

 

Her current power armor:

[40] Multipower, 60 point reserve, OIF (-1/2)

Backpack battery:

[27] END Reserve (200 END, 20 REC) (active 40); OIF (-1/2)

 

 

I'm thinking of starting off the Self-Destruct with something like:

[?] Big ba-da-boom (base 23 to 34), Explosion (+1/2), Time Delay (+1/4) (active 40 to 60), Charges: 1 charge (-2), OIF (-1/2) (real 11 to 17)

 

... but I'm undecided whether to try adding Side Effects: "Power Armor's multipower cannot be used until battery replaced at lab"... or, possibly putting the self-destruct in a new multipower alongside the END Reserve, with the reasoning that either the END Reserve can be used, or the self-destruct, but not both; and when the self-destruct's one charge is used, the END Reserve can't be used, either, until that charge is replaced. Which will, naturally, depower the power armor, which is precisely the effect I'm going for, but depends heavily on the "GM's Permission" for including a Special Power in a power framework.

 

 

What do you think?

[Dust Raven]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

My first thought was to create an additional Multipower, with one slot being the END Reserve, and the other being the exploding power-pack effect. Give the exploding power-pack 1 Charge and Lockout. The GM needs to approve two elements of this construct. 1. He must approve placing END Reserve in a Framework, and 2, he must okay the recovery of the Charge at base (but may always state you've used up all your backups/extras if you use this ability too often). The real trick though is to make sure the exploding power-pack has roughly equal (or less) Active Cost to the END Reserve. If the explosion would be much higher than the END Reserve, then just forget the MP and build it outside, with the same Limitations.

[DataPacRat]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

My first thought was to create an additional Multipower' date=' with one slot being the END Reserve, and the other being the exploding power-pack effect. Give the exploding power-pack 1 Charge and Lockout.[/quote']

Skimming my book, I can't seem to figure out where 'Lockout' is mentioned; could you help me by mentioning which header it's under (or page reference for Fifth Unrevised)?

[Amber Nytstar]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Try looking under Limitations or Power Modifiers.

[DataPacRat]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Try looking under Limitations or Power Modifiers.

Just did, and can't find it there, or under Power Advantages, either, or in the index. I might have missed it, but I just can't seem to find it. Is it from some other book, or the Revised edition?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Deh. Now I know how everyone feels when I do this.

 

Lockout (-1/2). p.301 5ER. A power with this limitation cannot be used in conjunction with any other powers, simply put. It's commonly used for Multipowers to represent an "all-or-nothing" design, or an SFX that prohibits other powers from behind used.

 

I don't know that it's the most effective thing to use here. I guess it depends If this were me? I wouldn't allow it since the logical question is "How do you get the power armor home again?" Is this a skin suit with guns that you can move under your own power? Or is this an augmented power armor that cannot move without mechanical assistance?

 

If I were to allow it, then I would design it something closer to this:

 

Power Armor, et al. (+END Reserve as Battery Pack)

MP Slots (All Cost End)

 

31 Big Badda-Boom: Killing Attack - Ranged 8d6, Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; Power Armor Non-Functional Without Battery; +0), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Explosion (+1/2) (210 Active Points); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (Battery Is Destroyed In Process; -4), OAF (Power Armor Battery; -1), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Range Based On Strength (-1/4)

 

No battery? No go. But it'll make a big mess when it lands. One could make an argument for "Limited Recovery" -- I'm never quite sure how that one works, but a missile is considered "one charge that never recovers" in some designs, so I went with that here. If it's used every other game, then... bleh. Knock that down and bump up the cost. Range Based on Str is because it'll only go so far as you throw it. So there's that.

[DataPacRat]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Deh. Now I know how everyone feels when I do this.

 

Lockout (-1/2). p.301 5ER. A power with this limitation cannot be used in conjunction with any other powers, simply put. It's commonly used for Multipowers to represent an "all-or-nothing" design, or an SFX that prohibits other powers from behind used.

 

I don't know that it's the most effective thing to use here. I guess it depends If this were me? I wouldn't allow it since the logical question is "How do you get the power armor home again?" Is this a skin suit with guns that you can move under your own power? Or is this an augmented power armor that cannot move without mechanical assistance?

 

Ah, thank you kindly, I now have a value and description for Lockout to chat with my GM about.

 

This particular "power armor" has two main components; the multipower, which includes just about all the uses I could come up with for a particular superscience gizmo, in the form of some gadgets strapped on at various places; and the armored costume, your basic 8 PD/ED, Flash Defense, Life Support, Radio Headset sort of stuff, which don't depend on the END Reserve backpack battery. In the terms you presented, "a skin suit with guns".

 

 

If I were to allow it, then I would design it something closer to this:

 

Power Armor, et al. (+END Reserve as Battery Pack)

MP Slots (All Cost End)

 

31 Big Badda-Boom: Killing Attack - Ranged 8d6, Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect does a predefined amount of damage; Power Armor Non-Functional Without Battery; +0), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Explosion (+1/2) (210 Active Points); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (Battery Is Destroyed In Process; -4), OAF (Power Armor Battery; -1), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Range Based On Strength (-1/4)

 

No battery? No go. But it'll make a big mess when it lands. One could make an argument for "Limited Recovery" -- I'm never quite sure how that one works, but a missile is considered "one charge that never recovers" in some designs, so I went with that here. If it's used every other game, then... bleh. Knock that down and bump up the cost. Range Based on Str is because it'll only go so far as you throw it. So there's that.

 

An interesting build, but one that I doubt I'll be able to use, as the GM has set a limit of 60 active points on powers. Plus, I do have a finite point budget, and my first draft, where I threw in everything I could think of at the time, came within 4 points of that budget; I can probably scrape up 5 or 10 points without too much trouble, but more than 25 and I'll have to start rewriting (or removing) significant pieces.

 

 

It's almost time for me to head to bed. Unless someone posts some suggestions before I awake - and I hope someone does - I think I'll simply propose the Multipower version to my GM. Since the END Reserve is 40 active points, that's what I'll aim for... to be honest, this isn't /that/ big a big-badda-boom, but for 40 AP, there doesn't seem much else I can do to make it bigger. (Feel free to offer suggestions for that, too. )

 

 

[40] Multipower, 60 point reserve, OIF (-1/2)

Backpack battery:

[27] Multipower, 40 point reserve, OIF (-1/2)

[3u] END Reserve (200 END, 20 REC) (active 40); OIF (-1/2) (real 27)

[1u] Big badda-boom self-destruct: 1-1/2d6 RKA (base 25), Explosion (+1/2) (active 38), Charges: 1 charge (replaceable at lab/base) (-2), Lockout (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) (real 10)

[DataPacRat]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

(Okay, so there's /one/ definite thing I could do to make the big-badda-boom bigger, but somehow I don't think my GM will look appreciatively on a MegaScaled boom... )

[Thrakazog]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

My powered armor suits typically run on either a flat-design chemical battery or a fusion power pack. The former wouldn't make much of a bang, really, while the latter would technically make my suit a weapon of mass destruction.

 

But it's an interesting question.

 

Give your END reserve (the battery) a limitation denoting that it can be eliminated. Create the explosion power with the side effect that the battery is eliminated (along with the suit, I guess) until replaced.

 

Or just build the explosion and handwaive the damn battery-n-suit-be-gone thing. Sometimes these rules just give me a headache.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

I had a character once with a suit of power armor that ran off of sweat and body heat. Maybe I could buy his explosion as an Enraged.

[1EyedJack]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Try an Expendable focus limit on you self-destruct killing attack, the Expendable focus being your End reserve. You might want to buy your killing attack so that it dose damage based on how much end is currently in you End Reserve.

[Balabanto]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

As far as I'm concerned, here's what's required for that.

 

Make a power skill roll or a gadgeteering roll.

 

Did you make it?

 

Good.

 

Your armor explodes. Calculate the damage according to the number of dice in Active REAL points total in the armor/15. A massive killing attack goes off. You are at it's center with no defenses.

 

Everything else takes the colossal KA. Make it an explosion or an area effect as the GM sees fit.

 

If you are still alive, it is my suggestion that you hang up your hero boots, because if you're not dead, you certainly won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

 

If you're dead, I hope it was worth it.

[Ner0Sputnik]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

I would agree with Balabanto. You're at the center of a pretty massive killing attack, your armor is destroyed, there's a possibility that you've blown your helmet off revealing your secret identity and you're going to have to call AAA to send out a flat bed tow truck to get your suit back to the lab.

 

Once you've recovered enough from the massive explosion (if you did, indeed, survive) you should be able to work on repairing your suit and replacing the battery. But if you're going to explode the battery you really should NOT just be able to plop a new one in and go. Bad side-effects. Bad. If you want to do this there will be consequences.

 

Fortunately, my players are usually game for this kind of flavor in a campaign.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Yeah, I think Guardian would be down for using his powerpack as a weapon...

 

oh, wait...

[Sean Waters]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Hmm. EDM to a place where your armour exploded but you miraculously survived. Given the low active cost, that is one you COULD fit into a multipower.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

... but depends heavily on the "GM's Permission" for including a Special Power in a power framework.

 

When I first read this, I thought you mean to blow up with the PC inside the suit, at which point you need a different order of GM's Permission that includes approving your next character!

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

i've seen physical disadvantage: can explode and then let it explode for free as part of the physical disadvantage, or perhapse spend the points from this extra disad to buy the explosion. It really seems like the fact that it can explode while you are in it, should be a physical lim or a side effect, but i like physical lim more

[Erkenfresh]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

Hmm. EDM to a place where your armour exploded but you miraculously survived. Given the low active cost' date=' that is one you COULD fit into a multipower.[/quote']

 

This is truly the best possible solution!

[Trebuchet]

Re: Blowing up your own power armor

 

I think Balabanto is on the right track. I'd just wing something like that based on the PC making an appropriate Skill roll (and assuming he has the requisite Skill in the first place). It's a desperation "one time only" move and IMO shouldn't require purchasing as a separate Power.