Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

[Sean Waters]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

Here's a question on the 'sanity check' point:

 

If you hit the Heroes with an 18d6 explosion in a 10d6 game (I'm assuming that is the sort of level of damage for most attacks as the first two slots do 9d6 and 11d6 (with limitations), are they all going to get hacked off that they fall over like nine-pins, and that is the end of the combat?

 

I mean even if they are not unconscious they will be stunned and any competent villain team will be taking advantage of that to finaish them off.

 

If so, I'd be disinclined to to allow a player to have the ability I'd only allow an exceptional villain.

 

Seriously.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

5ER P310 1st column penultimate paragraph.

 

I think someone may have already mentioned it in this thread, or possibly another. It is all beginning to blur.

 

Thank you, I managed to skip right past the relevant part.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

Here's a question on the 'sanity check' point:

 

If you hit the Heroes with an 18d6 explosion in a 10d6 game (I'm assuming that is the sort of level of damage for most attacks as the first two slots do 9d6 and 11d6 (with limitations), are they all going to get hacked off that they fall over like nine-pins, and that is the end of the combat?

 

I mean even if they are not unconscious they will be stunned and any competent villain team will be taking advantage of that to finaish them off.

 

If so, I'd be disinclined to to allow a player to have the ability I'd only allow an exceptional villain.

 

Seriously.

 

Being part of the campaign, and knowing the player - he'd only use this if the majority of PCs were already in that condition.

 

The party consists of two Brick-types. At the epicenter of an 18d blast the majority of the campaigns characters (PC and NPC) would be done (Dr. Destroyer and The Unholy Trinity being the possible exceptions). 1/3 of the way out I believe the 2 PC Bricks could take the blast, maybe Stunned, but not out.

[braincraft]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

The only way to settle this is to build a bunch of identical characters' date=' one with each version, and hold a Nova Match.[/quote']

 

The winner is the one with the most Lightning Reflexes.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

5ER p108-109.

 

If you Aid a slot (say the Nova Slot) and switch out of the Nova Slot the Aided Points Fade immediately.

Adding to this' date=' assuming the slot Aided is already at the full MP pool, I believe you must Aid both the slot and the pool to gain the benefit of the Aid.[/quote']

 

I may regret asking this, but why should the Aid fade immediately if the Aid isn't in the MP? The Aid is bought separately and has aided-up the MP Reserve and the individual slot. When you switch to a different slot, the Aid obviously doesn't apply to any of the other slots (unless you bought it that way), but why shouldn't the Aid points still be there when you switch back (subject to the normal fade rate, or course)?

[ghost-angel]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

5ER p108-109.

 

If you Aid a slot (say the Nova Slot) and switch out of the Nova Slot the Aided Points Fade immediately.

 

 

I may regret asking this, but why should the Aid fade immediately if the Aid isn't in the MP? The Aid is bought separately and has aided-up the MP Reserve and the individual slot. When you switch to a different slot, the Aid obviously doesn't apply to any of the other slots (unless you bought it that way), but why shouldn't the Aid points still be there when you switch back (subject to the normal fade rate, or course)?

 

That's a really good question - and I'm not even sure Game Balance is the right answer.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

That's a really good question - and I'm not even sure Game Balance is the right answer.

 

Game Balance is entirely subjective, and I'm sure someone will have had or imagined a problem that this addresses, but it seems unnecessary to me, especially as negatively adjusted slots don't get the benefit.

 

It also has this freaky result:

 

You can positively adjust a pool AND more than one slot simultaneously. Say (for simplicity's sake) we have a 40 point pool with 2 slots; an 8d6 fire blast and an 8d6 visual flash, all 'fire' sfx.

 

If an adjustment power that affects all powers of a given sfx is applied, the pool and all slots increase. If you use the EB, then switch to the flash, then back again, the points are gone (althought eh pool technically remains boosted).

 

That, frankly, seems wrong.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

Technically, the switch out instant fade phenomenon applies to MP and VPP Framworks. Not EC Framworks.

 

I suppose the Aiding multiple slots is more beneficial to the EC User, and less to the Others.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

That's a really good question - and I'm not even sure Game Balance is the right answer.

I'd go farther and say that I'm sure that Game Balance is *not* the right answer. Since you have to boost the reserve and the slot, you're paying a 10 or 20% premium with your Aid effect dice, and getting less benefit. Paying more and getting less is the *opposite* of game balance.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

If so' date=' I'd be disinclined to to allow a player to have the ability I'd only allow an exceptional villain.[/quote']

Fair point. I wouldn't even consider it if it didn't essentially KO the user as well. (Either through the high END cost or by leaving off the Hole In The Middle.) Not to mention any other PCs within range. So if any bad guys do manage to survive the blast, the players have screwed themselves. It's definitely a double-edged sword.

 

Being part of the campaign' date=' and knowing the player - he'd only use this if the majority of PCs were already in that condition.[/quote']

Yeah, this is the guy who bought his Healing power with a Drain Body Side Effect that happens every time he uses it -- and has put himself down to 0 BOD using it more than once because it's the heroic thing to do.

 

I'd go farther and say that I'm sure that Game Balance is *not* the right answer. Since you have to boost the reserve and the slot' date=' you're paying a 10 or 20% premium with your Aid effect dice, and getting less benefit. Paying more and getting less is the *opposite* of game balance.[/quote']

I think I agree with you. In general, I favor variety, and tend to be against any rules that encourage players to keep using the same attack over and over and over. This all but requires them to do so.

[Steve]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

56 Nanite Weaponry: Multipower, 56-point reserve

6u 1) Quick Blast: Energy Blast 9d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (56 Active Points). 2 END

3u 2) Big Blast: Energy Blast 11d6 (55 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, Delayed Phase, -3/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4). 5 END

1u 3) Nova Blast: Energy Blast 7d6, Explosion(+1/2)(52 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost(x6 END; -2 1/2), Extra Time(Extra Phase; -3/4), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), No Range(-1/2). 30 END

 

16 Jumbo Nova Blast: Energy Blast +11d6 (adds to Nova Blast), Explosion(+1/2)(82 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost(x6 END; -2 1/2), Extra Time(Extra Phase; -3/4), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), No Range(-1/2). 48 END

 

A couple of questions occur to me.

 

1) Could this power construct be Haymakered to bring it up even further in dice of effect?

 

2) Could a separate Aid affecting the Jumbo Nova Blast add-on ratchet up the damage even more? I'm picturing a build up for several phases, then KABOOM!!!

[SteveZilla]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

1. I'm not certain, but I think it might be allowable. The Haymaker's "pause" of going off at the end of the following Segment would be IMO tacked onto the end of the Extra Time Limitation's time period. It might not be allowable because most of the negative effects of Haymaker are either dilluted or outright nullified by the Limitations.

 

2. Yes, an Aid could increase the Jumbo Nova Blast build. But because that can only be used with the Nova Blast slot in the framework, that Aid cannot be in a Framework, IMO.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

1. I believe Haymaker rules apply normally.

 

2. Aid would work normally, no reason not to.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Nova Blast (sanity check, please)

 

1. I'd be inclined not to allow a Haymakered Nova Blast because of the 0 DCV part - since your DCV can't be lowered below 0, the -5 you'd normally get doesn't penalize you in any way. And if you can't take the penalty, you shouldn't be able to get the benefit. YMMV.

 

2. Why not? You'd need 7.5 pips of effect for each +1d6 to the Nova Blast. I definitely would not allow Aiding both the Nova Blast Slot and the Jumbo Nova Blast Adder - they're the same power, and only subject to one Aid. And Aiding it for "several phases" won't help much, since Aid maxes out with two average (or even slightly below average) rolls. Yes, you could buy up the maximum, which would allow you to Aid it up even higher, but that costs more, in both points and time.