Another Damage Shield / AOE question

[FOUNDATION]

There was an earlier post by "Professor M@ss" that read...

 

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Damage Shield and Area of Effect

Is there any reason a character couldn't buy Damage Shield with an Area of Effect, so that people don't actually have to touch him to have the Damage Shield take effect?

 

e.g. The Living Fireball has a flaming aura - he bellows "Fireball On!" and is sheathed in flame. Is it legal to buy this as, say, a RKA with Damage Shield +1/2, Continuous +1 (making it constant), and Area of Effect: Hex +1/2, for a total of +2?

 

--->M@ss

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...the response by Steve Long read...

 

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I won’t go so far as to say that’s illegal, because I can see some situations where it might lead to some interesting power constructs, and it’s not too far different from what normally happens when a character enters a Constant area-effecting power field. But I’d consider it a “stop sign†power; there are definitely possibilities for abuse.

 

 

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Steve Long

HERO System Line Developer

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My question is what about taking someone with this power and giving them flight. Is it legal for them to fly along a row of individuals and affect all of them seeing as how they were all in the flight path of the person who had the AOE Damage Shield (this is assuming that the person was flying close enough to the row of people that said people were all in the flying person's AOE at some point during the phase of movement)?

 

Assuming this is legal, I could see this being a way of simulating the things that flew out of the Arc (and took out all of the Nazis) near the end of "Raiders of the Lost Arc" (naturally, you'd need to give them things like desolidification and "affect real world" for their Damage Shield, etc.) If it is not legal, how *could* you simulate these little beasties?

[Steve Long]

Here's how I wrote that question up for the next edition of the Rules FAQ. Note the last sentence.

 

*NEW*Q: Can a character buy a Damage Shield with the Area Of Effect Advantage, so that anyone who comes close to him takes damage?

 

A: As a default rule, yes, because it might allow for some interesting power constructs and isn’t too far different from what normally happens when a character enters a Constant area-effecting power field. However, GMs should consider it a “stop sign” power and review it carefully; there are definitely possibilities for abuse. Gamemasters also need to decide what happens if the character moves; ordinarily area-effecting powers, once established, can’t be moved (see above).

 

Generally speaking, to do what you're describing, I think it would make more sense to buy Area Of Effect (Line) and Link it to Flight -- sort of like the third option for "Charging Slash" described on page 38 of Ninja Hero.

 

You can read more about mobile area-affecting powers in the Rules FAQ under "Area Of Effect," IIRC.