Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

[Boll Weevil]

I have a character, Wombat, with many enhanced senses. He can see in the dark, hear a gnat fart and track a mouse in a Febreze factory (I've actually been to Febreze factories, they are...fragrant). Because his senses are so finely tuned, I would imagine they are more easily Flashed than the average character. A character that can hear your heart beat at 20 yards must jump out of their skin when church bells ring!

First, do any of you buy Flash Vulnerabilities for your sense-heavy characters?

Second: If you do, do you buy them individually (Visual, smell, hearing)?

Perhaps a Vulnerability is too much. Physical Limitation: sensitive eyes, ears and nose?

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

I usually buy Flash Vulnerabilities for sense-heavy characters, but not always. It depends on the concept; it's a logical weakness for the power, but not necessary.

 

When I do, I buy all the applicable Flash Vulnerabilities in a single package. Usually a define it at "Sensory Overload Flashes," since there are a few other Special Effects for Flash.

 

A Physical Limitation could either replace or supplement the Vulnerability. With the Physical Limitation, the character would suffer general discomfort under bright lights, loud noises, strong odors, extreme temperatures, and the like without dealing with extra STUN, effect, or whatever. Instead he'd deal with reduced Skill Rolls, Attack Rolls, INT and EGO Rolls, and such.

[teh bunneh]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

1.5x or 2x Effect from "Sensory Overload" Flash Attacks

 

"Sensory Overload" being things like bright lights or loud noises, rather than... I dunno, a Flash defined as a bag over the head or something.

 

I'd call it Very Common, myself, 'cause there's a lot of different Flash attacks out there... at least, in my campaigns.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

I have a character, Wombat, with many enhanced senses. He can see in the dark, hear a gnat fart and track a mouse in a Febreze factory (I've actually been to Febreze factories, they are...fragrant). Because his senses are so finely tuned, I would imagine they are more easily Flashed than the average character. A character that can hear your heart beat at 20 yards must jump out of their skin when church bells ring!

First, do any of you buy Flash Vulnerabilities for your sense-heavy characters?

Second: If you do, do you buy them individually (Visual, smell, hearing)?

Perhaps a Vulnerability is too much. Physical Limitation: sensitive eyes, ears and nose?

 

1. Sometimes.

2. I typically lump them together into one category.

[CTaylor]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

Yeah I usually will buy some flash vulnerability for high-sense characters (the elf package in my fantasy world has that disad) but it doesn't have to be in there. Maybe the character's senses are so good they aren't bothered by sudden increases of input.

[Blackberry]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

I might go with Susceptibility -- instead of extra effect, take some STUN along with the effect.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

I'd have to say that I vary it according to the concept.

 

The Amazing Avian Amalgam, who has the eyes of an eagle, the ears of a bat and the nose of a kiwi is probably going to be at risk of sensory overload.

 

Sensor Swarm, who has a cloud of invisible nanites that send data in from all over to a central processor, probably has a buffer and wouldn't necessarily have a problem with intense sensory input - though I could see an argument for Burnout there.

 

Lucky-Loo, who has the mystical ability to always be looking in exactly the right place, would probably also have the mystical ability to avoid looking straight into blinding light, and might even have Flash Defense.

 

I'd probably just drop in a PhysLim, unless I really expected it to come up a lot.

 

As a side note, if you ever watched the old UPN show The Sentinel, the main character had enhanced senses who, while he did occasionally mind loud noises or strong smells, he really had a problem with getting distracted by his increased sensory input. I'd have built that by putting the Enhanced Senses on an Activation and a Side Effect - sometimes when trying to sense something, he'd instead wind up in a fugue that his sidekick had to knock him out of.

[CoreBrute]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

I suggest this:

10 Susceptibility: to Flashes and other intense

sensory stimuli, 1d6 damage instantly

(Common)

20 Vulnerability: 2 x Effect from Flashes

(Common)

 

Covers all the basics, if you have enhanced senses for both eyes and ears. Adjust accordingly for only one sense.

[pinecone]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

I have a character, Wombat, with many enhanced senses. He can see in the dark, hear a gnat fart and track a mouse in a Febreze factory (I've actually been to Febreze factories, they are...fragrant). Because his senses are so finely tuned, I would imagine they are more easily Flashed than the average character. A character that can hear your heart beat at 20 yards must jump out of their skin when church bells ring!

First, do any of you buy Flash Vulnerabilities for your sense-heavy characters?

Second: If you do, do you buy them individually (Visual, smell, hearing)?

Perhaps a Vulnerability is too much. Physical Limitation: sensitive eyes, ears and nose?

 

I've done that, but I usually take Suceptable:Flash attacks instead...it flashes me as normal, and it Hurts!

[Vulcan]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

I usually just RP my enhanced senses character getting a migrane from flashes. But then, he also had a fairly high level of Resistance as well...

[Bloodstone]

Re: Enhanced Senses = Flash Vulnerability

 

My character Chimera had both Susceptibility and Vulnerability. Had lots of fun with that combo actually.

 

It came up in his very first adventure with the team. One of Chimeras teammates used his AoE NND attack on a thug he was fighting, figuring he could easily shrug it off (Chimera had a pretty high CON)

 

Unfortunately, the NND was Sonic based!

 

Chimera would have torn his head off had I not barely made the Enraged roll