MA Question

[Supreme]

If you want to make a character with more than four maneuvers, could you save points by making all of your maneuvers have no DC bonus and buying all of your DCs separately?

[misterdeath]

Hmmm, possible.

 

So. You buy Custom Maneuvers without the + Str/+ damage elements. Then go hog wild on DCs to make up for the damage.

 

Takedown, and Defensive Strike are examples already in the book. Cheap Strike +2 OCV +2 DCV, Str Damage costs 4 points and makes a good strike maneuver base.

 

But, since the minimum cost of a Maneuver is 3, and it's 1 point for 5 Str/d6 damage for manuevers, it might not be worth it to do the work. You'd have to have 4 maneuvers drop from 4 to 3 to get + 1 DC. In order to get 4 DCs you'd have to have 16 points shaved somewhere. Which is probably at least 16 maneuvers.

 

You might be able to save that much by not buying a lot of redundant maneuvers (not Legsweep and Takedown, or not Defensive, Martial, Offensive, Sacrifice, Fast Strike or Passing Strike, Charge, Sacrifice Lunge) off the standard list.

 

Some GMs might well start to freak if you make a huge list of nonstandard manuevers.

 

If you're looking for a big Cost Benefit Ratio, I always end up suggesting the Multipower, or at the very least Strength with No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) only for doing Martial Arts like things (-1/4). Buy some CSLs, and rock and roll.

 

D

[Derek Hiemforth]

Yep, this is the nastiest, most cost-effective way to make Martial Arts.

 

Not only do your normal damage attacks do the amount you want after buying Extra DCs, all of your other maneuvers (NNDs, Grabs, Escapes, etc.) get downright gruesome.

[Supreme]

Well, it seems to me that if you have four or more maneuvers with no DC bonus, and you buy your DCs separately, it costs the same at the +2 DC level, and there after you save points because you side-step the double-cost rule for DC bonuses over +2. For that matter if you have more than three three-point maneuvers and buy three-point levels with your MA, none of which has more than a +2 for OCV or DCV, you can side-step the over +2 penalty there as well.

 

Hmm...

 

Cheating MA

 

5 OCV Strike +2 OCV, +1 DCV, STR+2 DMG

5 DCV Strike +1 OCV, +2 DCV, STR+2 DMG

5 DMG Strike +1 OCV, STR+3 DMG

5 Throw +1 OCV, STR +2+v/5, Target Falls

3 Block +2 OCV, +1 DCV, Block/Abort

4 Dodge +5 DCV

 

8 +2 DCs

6 +2 w/MA

 

Going this route, I'm bypassing the restriction against the max of +4 DCs in one maneuver with the DMG Strike. I'm also bypassing the max on +3 CV on any one maneuver. I'm also paying 8 less points for the same amount of DCs and 6 less points for the same amount of CV bonus. Am I getting this right?

[TaxiMan]

I'm going to have to revisit the MA section. I don't know about the "double-cost rule for DC bonuses over +2". Is that also what Supreme meant with "if you have [distributed combat levels] you can side-step the over +2 penalty there as well"?

 

Any informative followup would be appreciated! - but I'll still read the book.

[misterdeath]

Originally posted by Supreme

Going this route, I'm bypassing the restriction against the max of +4 DCs in one maneuver with the DMG Strike. I'm also bypassing the max on +3 CV on any one maneuver. I'm also paying 8 less points for the same amount of DCs and 6 less points for the same amount of CV bonus. Am I getting this right?

 

Yep. Looks like it.

 

Congrats. [big thumbs up] You have entered the realm of the Power Gamer. Welcome.

 

D

[misterdeath]

Originally posted by TaxiMan

I'm going to have to revisit the MA section. I don't know about the "double-cost rule for DC bonuses over +2". Is that also what Supreme meant with "if you have [distributed combat levels] you can side-step the over +2 penalty there as well"?

 

Any informative followup would be appreciated! - but I'll still read the book.

 

This is all from the UMA, so if you don't have that book, it's all going to be very foreign to you.

 

Assuming you do...

 

When creating a Maneuver from scratch, adding a + 1 DC is 1 point for the first one, 1 more point to add another one, then goes up to 2 for the next two, to a max of four.

 

So, "Damage Strike", + 0 OCV, + 0 DCV, Str + 4 DC costs 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 6 points. Which is too much for a maneuver, of cource, so you can drop the OCV or DCV, etc.

 

The same holds true for DCV as well. OCV is capped at two anyways.

 

 

You could buy the manuever at + 2 DCs, for a cost of 2 points (so you have to add something else), and then spend the 4 extra points on an Extra DC. Which would give you a net of 3 DCs for the same points. But now, if you add a different maneuver, then you can spend the 4 points from that on getting another Extra DC. So, that gives you two maneuvers with exactly the same cost and damage.

 

Each extra maneuver you add, makes the cost cheaper, since you've already equalled the DCs from the Extra ones.

 

Or, you can add the extra points back into OCV and DCV, like Supreme did, and make the character much more likely to damage his opponent with for the same cost.

 

D

[Derek Hiemforth]

Even Worse Cheating MA (values assume a 20 STR character)

 

24 +6 DCs

6 +2 w/MA

 

5 Drop 'Em Like A Bad Habit, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, 10d6 Damage, Target Falls

5 Throttle, -1 OCV, -2 DCV, Grab, 55 STR to hold, 5d6 NND

4 Escape, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 65 STR to Escape Grabs

[Blue Jogger]

Originally posted by Derek Hiemforth

Even Worse Cheating MA (values assume a 20 STR character)

 

24 +6 DCs

6 +2 w/MA

 

5 Drop 'Em Like A Bad Habit, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, 10d6 Damage, Target Falls

5 Throttle, -1 OCV, -2 DCV, Grab, 55 STR to hold, 5d6 NND

4 Escape, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 65 STR to Escape Grabs

 

LOL! It reminds me of the time that I had a Energy Projector with the special multipower slot full of 3 point Hand Attack.

GM: "The big mean Brick walks up to you...."

ME: "STAR PUNCH!!" KA-POW!