Redirected for Discussion: STR + (1) Variable Advantage

[HalloweenKnight]

It was just a simple thing to give a 350-point startup superhero character some "color"...

 

Then the second-guessing came, and questions of "legality", and finally I'm here to ask for what I'll consider the FINAL answer.

 

The premise was this: A "Brick" with a "Fiery Aura" who could exert his STR to do either regular damage vs. PD *OR* fire damage vs. ED. Not both at the same time, and no combinations thereof. Just the ability to change his STR damage from being vs. PD to being vs. ED at will.

 

Now, how to do this? And how to do it in a way that a 350-point character could afford it comfortably and still be a "Brick" with appropriate amounts of STUN and defenses, etc etc?

 

My Preferred Solution: The simplest, most direct and most inexpensive method I came up with was to buy all of the character's STR with a +1/4 Variable SFX Advantage (regular STR vs PD or Fire damage vs ED). Quick and clean.

 

Then I started second-guessing myself: Would a GM disallow this for any reason, i.e. is it rules-exploitive? Granted, the only alternative SFX is "fire" vs. ED, but then again, how many SFX *would* be vs. ED besides fire? (The only one that readily comes to mind is electricity.) Should it be a +1/2 Advantage instead?

 

Alternative #1 was an EB bought as a Damage Shield. The damage had to be equal to the character's STR or else there was no point in having it all. And at that level, its cost was just too much.

 

Alternative #2 was putting the Damage Shield AND the STR as two slots of the same Multipower. But then the STR lost all of its benefits to Secondary Characteristics, and the character wasn't a "Brick" any more.

 

Alternative #3 was buying a simple HA and defining it as doing fire damage vs. ED, and therefore all of the character's STR behind it did fire damage vs. ED too. The ability to exert fire damage vs. Entangles and Grabs would be lost (any bindings prohibit the use of most HA, right?) and the low cost was certainly appealing, but it still seemed too rules-exploitive to me.

 

Steve said it was book-legal for STR bought with Variable Advantage BUT just because you CAN do a thing in HERO 5E doesn't necessarily mean you should...SO I want to know: How many of you, as GMs, would allow it, given the effect that I'm looking for? Is it rules-exploitive or not?

[schir1964]

Re: Redirected for Discussion: STR + (1) Variable Advantage

 

As a GM, I'd allow the Variable SFX at 1/2 Advantage level.

 

- Christopher Mullins

[Vondy]

Re: Redirected for Discussion: STR + (1) Variable Advantage

 

Its a Variable SFX Advantage, not a Variable Advantage. The first allows you to vary you FX, the second allows you to select any Advantage within the range you buy it for. Just alternating between PD and ED based on "fiery aura" is special effect and perfectly managable. I could see using the latter for "brick tricks," but I'd be disinclined to allow it unless we discussed which advantages it included and excluded - as it could be abused (though cost is a mitigating factor).

[Alibear]

Re: Redirected for Discussion: STR + (1) Variable Advantage

 

I'd be inclined to make it a nekked 1/4 advantage on his strength.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Redirected for Discussion: STR + (1) Variable Advantage

 

As long as the Brick's STR is not at the campaign maximum an Advantaged Hand To Hand Attack would handle most if not all of the issues.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Redirected for Discussion: STR + (1) Variable Advantage

 

This is definitely Variable Special Effects. IIRC, normal VSE at the +1/4 level lets you pick four effects, so this would cut half of the effectiveness of the advantage (you have two; blunt and fire), so you'd buy a +1/4 Variable Special Effect on your STR, with a -1 Limitation only Blunt and Fire.

 

In my game, at least.