Can you explain Aid to me?

[TheDux]

I posted this question in another thread (with different topic) but felt it deserved its own thread.

 

I have not explored Aid/Succor much and I am having some trouble grasping its use.

 

My understanding is that 1d6 DEX costs 10/5 (Aid/Succor). With Standard Effect rule (or just the average) this would be +3 to DEX's Active Points, meaning that you would get +1 DEX.

 

But +1 DEX only costs 3 rather than +1 DEX with Aid/Succor for 5/10 character points.

 

Could I not get the same boost by buying +1 DEX as a characteristic with some limitations?

 

What am I missing here? Thanks for the clairification.

 

EDIT: I would like to note that for the use of Aiding others I can understand the cost.

[schir1964]

Re: Can you explain Aid to me?

 

Purchasing a characteristic as a power will always be more point efficient than purchasing Aid/Succor of the same level.

 

However, one major exception.

 

Succor stacks onto itself with each use so as long as you can spend the END each phase, you can keep increasing the stat.

 

Adjustment Powers make more sense once you apply the Affects A Single SFX Advantage to them.

 

- Christopher Mullins

[TheDux]

Re: Can you explain Aid to me?

 

Purchasing a characteristic as a power will always be more point efficient than purchasing Aid/Succor of the same level.

 

However, one major exception.

 

Succor stacks onto itself with each use so as long as you can spend the END each phase, you can keep increasing the stat.

 

Adjustment Powers make more sense once you apply the Affects A Single SFX Advantage to them.

 

- Christopher Mullins

 

Excelent. Now this makes sense to me.

 

Now here is the problem that I am having, I need to turn a power that adds +20 DEX and +1 SPD into a constant power that stays on and costs END even if the character is knocked out. The power costs END every turn it is turned on.

 

SFX: Hyperspeed is activated by pressing a series of buttons on the suit in order to increase reaction speed while draining the suit's batteries.

 

Increase END (Costs END) does turn Chracteristics into a Constant power that can be turned off and on and costs END. But Constant powers turn off after if the character is knocked out (an effect i would like to eliminate). How would I do this? If someone could create this power I will give them two thumbs up and a smile.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Can you explain Aid to me?

 

Excelent. Now this makes sense to me.

 

Now here is the problem that I am having, I need to turn a power that adds +20 DEX and +1 SPD into a constant power that stays on and costs END even if the character is knocked out. The power costs END every turn it is turned on.

 

SFX: Hyperspeed is activated by pressing a series of buttons on the suit in order to increase reaction speed while draining the suit's batteries.

 

Increase END (Costs END) does turn Chracteristics into a Constant power that can be turned off and on and costs END. But Constant powers turn off after if the character is knocked out (an effect i would like to eliminate). How would I do this? If someone could create this power I will give them two thumbs up and a smile.

 

See my post on your original thread.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Can you explain Aid to me?

 

Aid is for use on others, it's a failed experiment to compare it to use on yourself vs buying straight.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Can you explain Aid to me?

 

Well yes, but...

 

Aid is one of those interesting tools in the kit. On its own it is pretty useless. Built like this:

 

Team Supreme: 65 active and real: Aid 2d6, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Area Of Effect (5" Any Area; +1), [four powers] simultaneously (STR, DEX, SPD and running; +1) (65 Active Points)

 

It can seriously monster up an entire team, each gaining, with two applications, +2d6 STR damage (and 4x lifting STR), +4 DEX (including at least +1 OCV and DCV), +1 SPD and +6" running, and they will stay there for the whole combat. That's serious stuff. I had a villain team with a character called Booster on it and she did pretty much this. I had to retire her - she was nasty.

 

The other thing it (and other adjustment powers) can do, for the individual, is, GM willing, allow you to exceed campaign maxima. You may have 60 STR already, but aid can make you more:

 

Adrenal rush: 45 active, 22 real

Aid 2d6 to STR, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Continuous (+1) (45 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (Only after taking Body damage, or being stunned; -1/2)

 

Sure you could build that with +12 STR and the limitations, but I find GMs more willing to allow the 'Aid' construct than simply added characteristics.

[Blackberry]

Re: Can you explain Aid to me?

 

For the armored suit, I would just buy the Characteristics Power, with DEX and SPD, No Figured Chars on the DEX, and put Costs END on the whole thing.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Can you explain Aid to me?

 

Well, if the concept is:

 

1) The Suit has a limited battery, so there's an issue if it's running (like leaving your car on), and

 

2) Once activated it must either be deactivated (a free action in all cases) or drain the battery to zip, and

 

3) It operates independently of the user, I would build the following:

 

Succor, 20d6 to 2 characteristics simulataneously; if you want 20 DEX/1 SPD, then you really only need 1 characteristic, DEX, and have it be figured (thus bumping the OCV, DCV, and SPD accordingly). Since each point of DEX is 1/10th a point of SPD, and in most SuperHeroics there is no NCM (Normal Characteristic Maxima), you should get an auto-jump in SPD. At 20d6, assuming Standard Effect, that gives you 60cp of DEX, which translates to 20 points.

 

Then, limitation: Requires Manual Deactivation (-1/2; if the user is knocked out while the power armor is running, the Succor continues to pull END from the battery until either deactivated or the battery empties.)

 

Poof.