Damage Shield

[Zorak1003]

I recently switched over to 5th Edition HERO after a decade of playing 4th, mainly so I could use HERO Designer. I noticed that Damage Shield as an advantage doesn't seem to actually do anything ITSELF anymore. You have to purchase Continuous to even have the option of the advantage, which was automatically part of Damage Shield in 4th edition, (and frankly seems rather the point of the abilty), and you apparently need a further +.25 advantage to use the 'Shield offensively- Though the definition in HERO Designer itself seems to indicate otherwise.

 

So why not just buy a continuous no-range attack and be done with it? At least then you get the break of the No Range limitation.

 

And by the way, Damage SHIELD has always bugged me as name for this advantage, since the designers then felt it necessary to go to great lengths to explain that it provides no protection. If they hadn't called it SHIELD, no one would be making that assumption. My players and I have always referred to it as "Damge AURA"- Whether it was called that in some earlier edition or not, I don't remember, but it seems like a more descriptive name for it, in any case.

[Doc Samson]

Re: Damage Shield

 

I recently switched over to 5th Edition HERO after a decade of playing 4th, mainly so I could use HERO Designer. I noticed that Damage Shield as an advantage doesn't seem to actually do anything ITSELF anymore. You have to purchase Continuous to even have the option of the advantage, which was automatically part of Damage Shield in 4th edition, (and frankly seems rather the point of the abilty), and you apparently need a further +.25 advantage to use the 'Shield offensively- Though the definition in HERO Designer itself seems to indicate otherwise.

 

So why not just buy a continuous no-range attack and be done with it? At least then you get the break of the No Range limitation.

 

And by the way, Damage SHIELD has always bugged me as name for this advantage, since the designers then felt it necessary to go to great lengths to explain that it provides no protection. If they hadn't called it SHIELD, no one would be making that assumption. My players and I have always referred to it as "Damge AURA"- Whether it was called that in some earlier edition or not, I don't remember, but it seems like a more descriptive name for it, in any case.

 

You make some good points. I have a few comments however, to make the Continuous No Range Attack actually hit something you have to have a target and a successful attack roll, i.e. it still takes a half phase to activate against each target and has a chance to miss.

 

My beef with Damage Shield is that after you pay the additional 1.5 advanatage cost, you aren't left with a strong enough attack to get through many character's defenses (this assumes an AP cap to the campaign). For example: in a 60 AP campaign, you can expect to see defenses in the 25-30 range. A Continuous Damage Shield Energy Blast will be capped at 5 dice (and only of the GM lets you slide by 2 pts.). A 5d6 attacks yields an average damage of 17-18 points of damage. This won't even get through low defenses for a 60 AP campaign. This forces you to then take NND or AVLD on the Energy Blast just make sure it at least does some damage. This has made Damage Shields in our campaign rather repetitive.

 

I agree, they could have dispelled some confusion by changing the name of the advantage to Damage Aura.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Damage Shield

 

You can build a Damage Aura using Trigger. This was discussed in the DH article that expanded the trigger rules, but was not added in 5er due to the desire to minimize any actual rules changes.

 

The problem is that buying the level of advantages needed to have an attack automatically go off whenever you're hit, with no chance of missing, is significant, and reduces a standard AP attack to a very low damage level.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Damage Shield

 

Dissatisfaction with the new Damage Shield construct among veteran HERO players is widespread, and the variety of "fixes" proposed have been numerous. My personal favorite, for a number of reasons, is to allow Ranged Powers with Damage Shield to take the No Range Limitation, which at least reduces the Real Points significantly. I found it rather telling that in the DH article which Hugh mentions above, the optional Trigger construct is explicitly allowed to take No Range, which Damage Shield is not.

 

For my part I think putting Continuous onto a standard Damage Shield construct makes mechanical sense when you consider what it actually does. OTOH in my games I've been allowing an Instant Damage Shield, using the DS Advantage without Continuous. My players have found several uses for it: as an Entangle breaker, a counter to being Grabbed, or an "instant counterpunch" capability. Since I allow No Range they get good value for their points IMO.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Damage Shield

 

Dissatisfaction with the new Damage Shield construct among veteran HERO players is widespread' date=' and the variety of "fixes" proposed have been numerous. My personal favorite, for a number of reasons, is to allow Ranged Powers with Damage Shield to take the No Range Limitation, which at least reduces the Real Points significantly. I found it rather telling that in the DH article which Hugh mentions above, the optional Trigger construct is explicitly allowed to take No Range, which Damage Shield is not.[/quote']

 

This is one reason I like the Trigger approach, although there's no reason this could not also be applied to Damage Shields. Adjustment power damage shields are more effective under the official structure, since they had no range to lose in the first place.

[Zorak1003]

Re: Damage Shield

 

"For my part I think putting Continuous onto a standard Damage Shield construct makes mechanical sense when you consider what it actually does. OTOH in my games I've been allowing an Instant Damage Shield, using the DS Advantage without Continuous. My players have found several uses for it..."

 

I can definately see instant "auras" like that- An electric eel basically turns his zap on when he needs it, to use a real world example. But then, that can simply be a no range attack- My point is, for damage shield to actually BE a damage shield, it sort of has to be around (once it's on) to affect whoever touches you. Whatever the advantage's point value, it should be able to do the basic things expected of it, without more advantages.

 

By the way, exactly why does a constant area of effect need a to hit roll against people who enter the area of effect? Can anyone explain how someone could say, walk into a bonfire and not be "hit" by the damage? I would think just being CONSTANT ought to cover the automatic hit- In the same way that it's acceptable for constant attacks to continue doing damage with no additional to-hit roll on suceeding phases.

__________________

[Nekkidcarpenter]

Re: Damage Shield

 

The way Damage Shield currently works discourages players from using them. While occasionally someone will come up with a heavily advantaged one in a multipower (almost always 1d6 HKA + Penetrating) even these rarely get turned on in fights and no one thinks twice about hitting anyone with a DS. I'm going to be implementing a rule which makes DS a +0 advantage that can only be bought on Continuous powers, which still doesn't make them particularly viable but it helps somewhat for people who want one for sfx.

[Comic]

Re: Damage Shield

 

Ways to live with the current Damage Shield.

 

a) Call it Damage Aura when talking about it. Remember to look it up under Damage Shield when reading up on it.

 

Use it tactically, not as a brute-force main attack.

 

c) Find Weakness with it, if your other attack powers are limited.

 

d) Stack several together with different effects (Drain, NND, Entangle, etc.) if you're meant to be a 'Damage Aura' concept.

 

e) Remember the value of knockback, and use it against shrinkers and fliers who otherwise you couldn't hit with raw OCV.

 

f) Mix it with martial arts maneuvers strategically.

 

g) Suppress your opponents' defenses.

 

h) Find your opponents' vulnerabilities and susceptibilities, and vary the special effect to match.

 

i) Advantage stacking math works in your favor. You're already nerfed on dice, might as well make up for it on advangates.

 

j) Build a character acceptable to your GM who fits your campaign, and negotiate relaxing the damage caps.

 

k) Buy the power just for the effect, if the concept demands the effect. So what if all it can do is set dry paper on fire? Buy some other power or skill that is combat effective to get that combat effect.

[JmOz]

Re: Damage Shield

 

Dissatisfaction with the new Damage Shield construct among veteran HERO players is widespread, and the variety of "fixes" proposed have been numerous. My personal favorite, for a number of reasons, is to allow Ranged Powers with Damage Shield to take the No Range Limitation, which at least reduces the Real Points significantly. I found it rather telling that in the DH article which Hugh mentions above, the optional Trigger construct is explicitly allowed to take No Range, which Damage Shield is not.

 

For my part I think putting Continuous onto a standard Damage Shield construct makes mechanical sense when you consider what it actually does. OTOH in my games I've been allowing an Instant Damage Shield, using the DS Advantage without Continuous. My players have found several uses for it: as an Entangle breaker, a counter to being Grabbed, or an "instant counterpunch" capability. Since I allow No Range they get good value for their points IMO.

 

First this is not ment to be an attack on Lord Liaden, just a statement of my opinions, and a friendly disagreement about game philosiphy

 

I've never bought the "Makes mechanical sense", and here is why:

 

Continous does not only make a power continous, but it lets the power keep attacking the character with out additional to hit rolls. In otherwords you are paying for the privalage to attack once and damage multiple times, but when applied to Damage Shield this is not what you are getting. Instead you are getting the privalage to do damage to anyone who sucessfuly attacks you, This to me is a very different thing

 

Now for my way of handling DS, it is a +1/2 advantage, it automaticaly applies the no range or Str does not add limitations. Further more if the power in question is "abusive" there is an additional +1 advantage (Abusive means NND, AVLD, AE, AF, Adjustment based powers, etc...) similar to autofire.

 

Mental Damage Shields are a bit different, a character chooses if it is mind or body based, if body based then any power other than Ego Blast is charged the +1, if mental based then any standard mental power can be used without the surcharge, a mental based one is only effective against people who use mental powers against the character

[Bloodstone]

Re: Damage Shield

 

In otherwords you are paying for the privalage to attack once and damage multiple times, but when applied to Damage Shield this is not what you are getting.

 

Sure it is. You just have to use Grabs

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Damage Shield

 

Sure it is. You just have to use Grabs

 

A Grab also converts your STR into a continuous attack. Should that also require the Continuous advantage on STR?

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Damage Shield

 

I've never bought the "Makes mechanical sense", and here is why:

 

Continous does not only make a power continous, but it lets the power keep attacking the character with out additional to hit rolls. In otherwords you are paying for the privalage to attack once and damage multiple times, but when applied to Damage Shield this is not what you are getting. Instead you are getting the privalage to do damage to anyone who sucessfuly attacks you, This to me is a very different thing

 

This is an excellent point. There is a big difference between a power that keeps attacking and I say when it stops and a Damage Shield.

 

Now for my way of handling DS' date=' it is a +1/2 advantage, it automaticaly applies the no range or Str does not add limitations. Further more if the power in question is "abusive" there is an additional +1 advantage (Abusive means NND, AVLD, AE, AF, Adjustment based powers, etc...) similar to autofire.[/quote']

 

I question the "abusive" aspect. I could see making DS a +1 advantage if the attack lacked both range and STR adds to begin with. However, would it be more reasonable to make the DS advantage +1 to begin with, and allow No Range or STR Does Not Add as limitations?

 

I don't see the fact an attack goes against unusual defenses as being inherently "abusive", as the character has already paid for that added functionality. As such, I wouldn't charge again for NND, AVLD, Flash, etc. Area Effect, similarly, isn't that big a deal. In fact, a smart opponent could make it a significant drawback. "Every time I hit you, your teammates get smacked too! SWEET!". To me, Adjustment powers are an issue only because they started out No Range by default.

 

Autofire is an odd one. I'd be inclined to simply rule that, because Damage Sheild involves no to hit roll, Autofire does not apply. The mechanics are incompatible.

 

Mental Damage Shields are a bit different' date=' a character chooses if it is mind or body based, if body based then any power other than Ego Blast is charged the +1, if mental based then any standard mental power can be used without the surcharge, a mental based one is only effective against people who use mental powers against the character[/quote']

 

I'd say a mental attack is the same as any other exotic attack. If an NND or AVLD - Mental Defense is considered "abusive", why isn't an Ego Attack also abusive? It acts against mental defense too. The other mental powers practicallly need to be Cumulative if the low dice of a typical DS are ever to have an effect, so I don't see a compelling need for a further surcharge.

 

Thinking on it, this points out some holes in the toolkit. I can have a Damage Shield that retaliates against a HTH hit or a Mental hit, automatically striking the offender. But I can't have a power that retaliates automatically against an opponent striking from range. Why not? The Trigger approach to damage shield would mitigate this - just don't take "no range". Part of the problem is that damage shield incorporates "Always Hits", an advantage which is not available for separate purchase.

 

[off topic]Meanwhile, I can have the ability to actively avoid damage and reflect damage from someone else's ranged attack, even to the point of deflecting it to another target, but I can't have the same thing for a hand to hand attack. This issue is commonly brought up for missile deflection/reflection. It can be solved by allowing an adder to Block for HTH reflection.[/off topic]

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Damage Shield

 

First this is not ment to be an attack on Lord Liaden' date=' just a statement of my opinions, and a friendly disagreement about game philosiphy[/quote']

 

Absolutely no offense taken. I have no problem with friendly disagreements.

 

I've never bought the "Makes mechanical sense", and here is why:

 

Continous does not only make a power continous, but it lets the power keep attacking the character with out additional to hit rolls. In otherwords you are paying for the privalage to attack once and damage multiple times, but when applied to Damage Shield this is not what you are getting. Instead you are getting the privalage to do damage to anyone who sucessfuly attacks you, This to me is a very different thing

 

Sure it is. You just have to use Grabs

 

Quite so, to maintain your victim's contact with your Damage Shield.

 

A Grab also converts your STR into a continuous attack. Should that also require the Continuous advantage on STR?

 

By the rules, that's not quite true. Each Phase that you want to do Damage to a character that you've Grabbed with your STR, you have to make another successful Attack Roll. Constant Powers don't require successive Attack Rolls, although if they don't have Range you need some means, such as a Grab or Movement, to keep your victim from slipping beyond your reach. (Another reason why I believe the standard Damage Shield construct should have allowed No Range.)

 

Of course a Damage Shield also "hangs around" between its user's Phases, dealing damage whenever someone comes in contact with it.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Damage Shield

 

By the rules' date=' that's not quite true. Each Phase that you want to do Damage to a character that you've Grabbed with your STR, you have to make another successful Attack Roll. Constant Powers don't require successive Attack Rolls, although if they don't have Range you need some means, such as a Grab or Movement, to keep your victim from slipping beyond your reach. (Another reason why I believe the standard Damage Shield construct should have allowed No Range.)[/quote']

 

Shouldn't that same logic apply to the Damage Shield (ie you roll again to continue making damaging contact)? I don't believe that's "rules as written", but it would be consistent.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Damage Shield

 

Ah, but as you pointed out, STR doesn't have the Continuous Advantage.

 

(I guess if you bought your STR with Continuous, you wouldn't need those successive Attack Rolls.)

[tesuji]

Re: Damage Shield

 

IMX the result of the rules change in 1.5 was to effectively restrict the use of damage shield among players who are "on a budget" for chargen to wierd esteric powers... basically the attack has to evade normal defenses... to be useful.

 

More typically seen in the comics examples of what damage shield used to be used for now just aren't getting priced accordingly to their impact, influence or effectiveness... like say the human torch's "body of flame so dont grab me".

 

Instead, i have seen a tendency to try and reflect the torch kind of thi g using LIMITATIONS... like say using "side effect affects environment" on your force field or flight to reflect "body of flame hurts stuff i touch"... and let the actual "and can hurt bad guys" be effectively handwaved out of the character.

 

net rsult, IMX, its a bad rule, as it gets in the way of reflecting the genre particularly well.... the genre that i would want to use hero for... and the mechanical value doesn't for "most normal uses" match up with the impact.

 

IMO the better fix from 4e would have been to leave damage shield as +1/2, not add the need for continuous, and to add to the ability the same "extra +1 if the attack power bypasses normal defenses" that autofire has... so that the oddball abuses are more closely pointed.

 

but thats me.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Damage Shield

 

While I agree that the price for Damage Shield is kind of high and that can end up keeping it from being effective for games with a point cap, from a balance standpoint, consider an alternative build.

 

Say that TorchBoy has an aura of flames that damages anything close to him. You could build that as Xd6 EB, Continuous, AoE 1 Hex, Personal Immunity, No Range. There are some slight differences in the implementation of this power and a Damage Shield EB, but the total level of Advantages is similar.

 

The big difference is that TorchBoy's power gets the No Range limitation. For this reason, and because DS can be used with powers that have no range by default, I alway allow DS to take the No Range limitation when I GM. But maybe that is just me.

[Oruncrest]

Re: Damage Shield

 

While I agree that the price for Damage Shield is kind of high and that can end up keeping it from being effective for games with a point cap, from a balance standpoint, consider an alternative build.

 

Say that TorchBoy has an aura of flames that damages anything close to him. You could build that as Xd6 EB, Continuous, AoE 1 Hex, Personal Immunity, No Range. There are some slight differences in the implementation of this power and a Damage Shield EB, but the total level of Advantages is similar.

 

The big difference is that TorchBoy's power gets the No Range limitation. For this reason, and because DS can be used with powers that have no range by default, I alway allow DS to take the No Range limitation when I GM. But maybe that is just me.

...and we could now call him Fireball.

 

And in campaigns with an active point cap, your approach nets him less effect than the 'book' approach does (21 pts of effect vs 24 the 'normal' way).

 

And I've always wondered, what if Torchboy wanted his 'body of flame' to not just burn his opponent when they're in physical contact, but to have it burn even after the two have broken off contact. When I used Champions 3rd & HERO 4th editions, I would've simply called tacked on Continuous to the power & moved on. What do I do now? Buy Continuous twice? Immolators across the world are waiting for an answer.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Damage Shield

 

...and we could now call him Fireball.

 

And in campaigns with an active point cap, your approach nets him less effect than the 'book' approach does (21 pts of effect vs 24 the 'normal' way).

 

And I've always wondered, what if Torchboy wanted his 'body of flame' to not just burn his opponent when they're in physical contact, but to have it burn even after the two have broken off contact. When I used Champions 3rd & HERO 4th editions, I would've simply called tacked on Continuous to the power & moved on. What do I do now? Buy Continuous twice? Immolators across the world are waiting for an answer.

 

Use Uncontrolled in addition to Continuous.

 

example:

 

60 Phosphorus Effect: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6, Costs END Only To Activate (By using this instead of 0 End the power can still be pushed.; +1/4), Uncontrolled ((5e, pg 175; 5er, pg 272) A Constant Power with this Advantage can maintain itself without conscious thought from its user.; +1/2), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Damage Shield (Offensive; (5e pg 163; 5er, pg 254) Opponents take damage from Damage Shield when struck by HTH Attacks or Grabs.; +3/4), Continuous (+1), Penetrating (x2; +1) (75 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Only works in presence of oxygen; -1/4) - END=7

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Damage Shield

 

While I agree that the price for Damage Shield is kind of high and that can end up keeping it from being effective for games with a point cap, from a balance standpoint, consider an alternative build.

 

Say that TorchBoy has an aura of flames that damages anything close to him. You could build that as Xd6 EB, Continuous, AoE 1 Hex, Personal Immunity, No Range. There are some slight differences in the implementation of this power and a Damage Shield EB, but the total level of Advantages is similar.

 

A significant difference between this construct and a Damage Shield is that anyone entering TB's area is hit for Xd6 EB. They will take this damage even if they do not hit Torchboy, and they will logically take the damage on entering his area of effect, so before they even get to launch their attack. Just passing through his area of effect means they take the damage.

 

That seems vastly more effective than a Damage Shield which can only affect the attacker if TB himself takes a hit, and thus takes damage himself. With that in mind, I would suggest it should not only cost more, but significantly more, to achieve this effect.

 

To me, the old construct had it more or less right. A +1/2 advantage was achieving reasonable results. That advantage essentially folded in "continuous", "need not roll to hit" and "only if I get hit first". Its sole flaw was that it incorporated No Range, giving attacks with no range by default a boost.

 

With this in mind, I am inclined to suggest that attacks which, by default, have Range pay +1/2 for a Damage Shield. The attack then loses its range, and damages anyone who hits the character. This is the same structure we had before 5e, and it worked quite nicely.

 

Attacks that are no range by default, however, would be required to pay for "ranged" as part of the damage shield so that they could lose that range, and would therefore require a +1 advantage to be used as a damage shield.

 

A Mental attack used as a damage shield becomes an interesting construct. It should, if anything, have a lesser advantage, as it can either only hit someone attacking with mental powers (much less common) or loses the advantage of LOS range. A +0 advantage is suggested by the comparable value of LOS Range to simple Range. Perhaps this is reasonable - a primary advantage of a damage shield is that it hits every time, and mental attacks tend to fairly easily hit most of the targets that are hard to hit with normal attacks. Perhaps it is still an advantage, so the cost should be +1/4.

[Zorak1003]

Re: Damage Shield

 

"Attacks that are no range by default, however, would be required to pay for "ranged" as part of the damage shield so that they could lose that range, and would therefore require a +1 advantage to be used as a damage shield."

 

I can agree with that. I made a number of damage aura spells for fantasy hero, and noticed that little discrepancy with inherently no-range attacks, too. I don't know if I agree re: no advantage at all for EGO effects, but I could see a +.25 advantage rather than +.5.

[Oruncrest]

Re: Damage Shield

 

 

And I've always wondered, what if Torchboy wanted his 'body of flame' to not just burn his opponent when they're in physical contact, but to have it burn even after the two have broken off contact. When I used Champions 3rd & HERO 4th editions, I would've simply called tacked on Continuous to the power & moved on. What do I do now? Buy Continuous twice? Immolators across the world are waiting for an answer.

 

Use Uncontrolled in addition to Continuous.

 

example:

 

60 Phosphorus Effect: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6, Costs END Only To Activate (By using this instead of 0 End the power can still be pushed.; +1/4), Uncontrolled ((5e, pg 175; 5er, pg 272) A Constant Power with this Advantage can maintain itself without conscious thought from its user.; +1/2), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Damage Shield (Offensive; (5e pg 163; 5er, pg 254) Opponents take damage from Damage Shield when struck by HTH Attacks or Grabs.; +3/4), Continuous (+1), Penetrating (x2; +1) (75 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Only works in presence of oxygen; -1/4) - END=7

 

Unfortunately, I don't think that would work anymore:( and the reason is because of what Continuous is being asked to do for Damage Shield.

 

Continuous is normally intended to make an instant power repeat itself for as many phases as you paid END for (for instance, lets say Torchboy can throw fireballs that keep burning for a while (let's say, a 2D6-1 RKA, Continuous, 0 END). The power to be repeated is the RKA, and the Continuous advantage will make it function almost like a constant power.

 

Now, let's add Uncontrolled. Uncontrolled is used to make a constant power last forever, or at least until the conditions to turn it off are triggered. With Torchboy's Continuous RKA, Uncontrolled extends the Continuous advantage, which is altering the effect of the RKA.

 

With your construct above, the Continuous advantage is altering the effect of the Damage Shield (to make it work between phases), not the RKA. Which means that when you apply Uncontrolled to the power, the Damage Shield will be empowered to last until smothered. It won't affect the KA at all, because that's not being affected by the Continuous advantage, and Uncontrolled cannot affect the KA because it's not the constant power, the Damage Shield is.

 

Back in Champions 3rd and HERO 4th, Damage Shield was assumed to be constant by default, which meant that if you wanted to make the Phosphorus Effect continue to burn Torchboy's opponent, then adding Continuous & Uncontrolled would've worked just fine. The Continuous advantage made the KA continue to work and the Uncontrolled advantage was assumed to enhance the Continuous advantage.

 

Now...

[Vondy]

Re: Damage Shield

 

I charge +1/2 for Damage Shield. The pseudo-continuous effects and no range are assumed in that. I charge +1 for the damage shield if it has "munchkin mods" tacked on (exotic effects that make it super-dangerous).

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Damage Shield

 

Oruncrest,

 

there is one fundamental flaw in your argument. Damage Shield is an Advantage, not a Power. Your argument depends on Damage Shield being treated as it's own power which is not the case according to RAW (rules as written) in 5e or 5er.

 

My Phosphorus Effect example would damage any target that hit the power's owner in HTH. It would also continue to damage them until they wipe off the 'phosphorus' that sticks to them (my special effect choice). My example could also be used offensively so that the power's owner could punch or grab a target and have them be be affected by the power as well. A brick with this power could eventually burn through whatever he could hold on to.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Damage Shield

 

To me the bottom line is, well, the bottom line. How many points is it really worth? How many dice of damage shield are functionally comparable to a non-damage shield power?

 

Let's start with 60 Active Points, a nice round number, easily divided.

 

How many dice of Normal Damage Shield is equivalent in utility to 12d6 EB?

8d6? If so, DS should be a +1/2 Advantage.

6d6? If so, DS should be a +1 Advantage.

slightly less than 5d6? If so, DS should be a +1.5 Advantage.

 

How many dice of Damage Shield is equivalent in utility to 6d6 Drain?

4d6? If so, DS should be a +1/2 Advantage.

3d6? If so, DS should be a +1 Advantage.

slightly more than 2d6? If so, DS should be a +1.5 Advantage.

 

How many dice of Damage Shield is equivalent in utility to 4d6 Major Transform?

Slightly less than 3d6? If so, DS should be a +1/2 Advantage.

2d6? If so, DS should be a +1 Advantage.

slightly less than 2d6? If so, DS should be a +1.5 Advantage.

 

This is the basic question. Advantage Stacking will always be a source of abuse or unbalanced powers, regardless of Damage Shield. An Advantage needs to be priced appropriately for the most basic case: a power with no other advantages or limitations. Once we figure that out, we can decide if an additional modification is needed for more complex cases:

 

How many dice of Armor Piercing Damage Shield is equivalent in utility to 8d6 EB, Armor Piercing?

6d6? If so, DS should be a +1/2 Advantage.

slightly less than 5d6? If so, DS should be a +1 Advantage.

4d6? If so, DS should be a +1.5 Advantage.

 

How many dice of NND Damage Shield is equivalent in utility to 6d6 NND?

slightly less than 5d6? If so, DS should be a +1/2 Advantage.

4d6? If so, DS should be a +1 Advantage.

Slightly more than 3d6? If so, DS should be a +1.5 Advantage.

 

These would have two Advantages, rather than one. Hardly a case of extreme Advantage stacking.

 

Remember also that a to hit roll *IS* required for a Damage Shield to do damage - it's just given to the opponent instead.