Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

[Tonio]

A friend of mine wants to make a VPP for which you can allocate points slowly rather than instantaneously.

 

For example, let's say it's a 100pt VPP. If he allocates points as a 0-phase action, he can only move, say, 20pts. If he takes a full phase, he can move 40pts. 60pts for a full turn, and, the whole 100 pts for a whole minute.

 

The idea I have for it would be to buy several VPPs, each one with a larger Extra Time limitation (all of them Cosmic). The idea being that as a 0-phase action you actually allocate ALL the points (mechanically speaking), but to actually use them, you need to spend increasing extra time. The fastest VPP would be used to create the power itself; the other ones would be +whatever to base power. For example, the first one makes a 4d6 EB, the second one a +4d6 to EB, the third one another +4d6 to EB, etc. The end effect being that as a 0-phase action the character can create a 4d6EB, at the end of the phase he can add an extra 4d6, at the end of the turn an extra 4d6, etc.

 

Would this work? Can/should I apply Linked to the other VPPs (all but the first)? Can/should I apply a Limitation to the effect of "Can only be used to augment powers in the first pool"?

 

I considered using a base VPP then adding Aid (to VPP) with Gradual Effect or somesuch, but that would augment all the powers in the VPP, when the effect desired is that points can be moved slowly: changing from a 21d6 EB to a 7d6 RKA takes some time, but the character would go from a 21d6EB to a 17d6EB and a 1d6+1 RKA, to a 13d6EB and a 2.5d6 RKA, etc... and finally to a 7d6 RKA.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

 

What about buying the VPP normally, then adding the following:

 

- on 10 points of control cost, Changes without Skill Roll (+1) and Changes as a 0 Phase Action (+1). That costs an extra 20 points, and allows up to 20 points to be changed as a 0 phase action.

 

- on another 10 points of control cost, Changes without Skill Roll (+1). That costs an extra 10 points, and allows a further 20 points (up to 40 in total) to be changed as a full phase action.

 

- on another 10 points of control cost, Changes without Skill Roll (+1), Limited with Extra Time (1 turn; -1?), so that's 5 points, and the remaining 20 points gets Extra Time (1 minute; -1 1/2?) for 8 points.

 

That seems a lot closer to the concept - he never needs a skill roll to change the VPP, but he must take extra time to change more than 20 points at a time.

[Tonio]

Re: Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

 

Yah, that was my initial idea, which then got modified to what I described. The reason I expressed it as buying separate VPPs is because I can't find how to partially limit VPP control costs in Hero Desginer.

 

Edit: Eep! I totally forgot to thank you for your reply, which I meant to do. Thanks! =)

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

 

Yah' date=' that was my initial idea, which then got modified to what I described. The reason I expressed it as buying separate VPPs is because I can't find how to partially limit VPP control costs in Hero Desginer. [/quote']

 

Every time I see a statement like that, I'm reminded of why I don't use Hero Designer...

[Bullseye]

Re: Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

 

Don't let HeroDesigner force you to more difficult constructs. If you can work out the point cost, just use a custom adder to adjust the cost to what it should be and put the calculations in the description.

 

The other way is technically illegal, though I would allow it if that was the only way the VPPs could be used (normally you can't use one VPP to modify another).

 

The way Hugh laid it out (not sure if the two Full Phase ones is a typo) seems the most correct to me.

[Tonio]

Re: Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

 

Thanks for the input, guys!

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

 

The way Hugh laid it out (not sure if the two Full Phase ones is a typo) seems the most correct to me.

 

Yup. Fixed. Thanks. Repped.

[Era Scarecrow]

Re: Strange VPP Construct... ideas?

 

Would you then be able to simply use a disadv on it, using simple guidelines that -1 is about half as effective.

 

So, since you can only access 1/3 of it, that's a -3/4 limitation, but since that isn't a true 1/3 limitation, you instead cut it in half (-1/2).

 

on a different note, in 5ER, the effect of 'charging' an item, after which can be used every round afterwards. using this thought process. (once again, no book on hand.. moving )

 

extra time ((charging), 1 Turn -1/2), you could add extra +/- as neccesary to help with how many points it really costs.

 

Examples might be, adding a -1/4 for every half the number of points you can shift and change(-1/4 for half the points, -1/2 for a quarter, -3/4 for an eighth, and -1 for a sixteenth.

 

so if you had a 40pt vpp, a -1/2 for the turn, and -1/2 for effecting only 1/4th of the points at a time towards changes.

 

Comments? Notes?

 

Era