Help with a power

[Split Decision]

I have a teleporter I'm working on, that has a bionic/cybernetic implant that controls a teleportation cape he wears. So far, I've got his movement powers done, as well as an XDM and Clairsentience that are SFX Teleportation.

 

But there is one attack power I'm having trouble with.

 

This is what it should do: The characater will teleport up to an adjacent hex/same hex as his target and slice through the target, teleporting a piece out for some small, but hard-to-stop damage. The movement and the attack are easy to contruct as two seperate powers, but there is a lag time between the move and the attack- I want to make this a single, half-phase attack.

 

Any ideas?

[Doc Samson]

Re: Help with a power

 

Linking the Attack Power to the Teleport should do the trick.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Help with a power

 

Linked just limits when the attack can be used.

 

Trigger could actually allow the attack to be used without necessarily using a separate attack action from the movement itself.

[jwpacker]

Re: Help with a power

 

More to the point, however, is - does the teleporter then remain right next to his target, or does he then port back to where he started? Because if it's the latter, then the fact that he teleports up next to someone is pure SFX, and it could be written up as an NND Does Body RKA.

[Split Decision]

Re: Help with a power

 

Great suggestions, all. OK, Trigger seems more appropriate. Can I put the teleport and the attack in the same slot of a multipower?

[Heckus]

Re: Help with a power

 

A couple things:

 

1. If you're looking for a power that lets you "teleport to the target, attack, and then teleport away without anyone striking back", Consider a penetrating Indirect RKA and explain the "indirect" part as the rubberband porting. Or a NND or ALVD.

 

2. If you're looking for a way to move, attack, and then perform other actions, as a GM, i say "tough luck". The hero system mechanic is designed for 2 actions per phase. If you want to be inhumanly fast then buy more speed.

 

3. I think both linked and trigger are "if-ie" options. With trigger you have to define one very specific circumstance to set it off. Unless you pay more for alternate means of activation, you can't use it without meeting that condition (not that much different from linked and possibly more limiting). Also, once you've used a triggered power you have to use a half phase action to reset the power before you can use it again. Sure you can make it so that it resets either as a 0 phase action or even automatically but that costs another +1/4 (for 0 phase) or +1/2 to 1 (for auto-reset at GM's option). Trigger is great for traps, reflexive attack backs, bombs, and reactive defense but as a primary attack it's kind of a cheese IMO.

[Doc Samson]

Re: Help with a power

 

Linked just limits when the attack can be used.

 

Trigger could actually allow the attack to be used without necessarily using a separate attack action from the movement itself.

Heya Hyper! Actually Linked powers go off simultaneously with one activation.

 

From 5ER, 300:

When a character uses two (or more) Linked

powers, he activates and uses them simultaneously.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Help with a power

 

Heya Hyper! Actually Linked powers go off simultaneously with one activation.

 

From 5ER, 300:

 

 

But you're quoting the rule out of context.

 

Here is the relevant section:

 

If the lesser and greater powers are both Attack Powers, he must use them against the same target. He only makes one Attack Roll to hit with them, and it must be the same type of Attack Roll...

 

Movement of any kind is NOT an attack power so Linking an attack power to a movement power does not meet the quoted requirement. The Trigger Advantage is the only way to circumvent this.

[Doc Samson]

Re: Help with a power

 

But you're quoting the rule out of context.

 

Here is the relevant section:

 

 

 

Movement of any kind is NOT an attack power so Linking an attack power to a movement power does not meet the quoted requirement. The Trigger Advantage is the only way to circumvent this.

I posted the question to the Rules Forum.

I searched this forum and checked the FAQ, and am still not sure what the answer to the following question is.

 

If you Link an Attack Power to a Movement Power, do they require separate actions to activate or are they be activated as a single action?

 

Thank you in advance.

Here is the reply.

If a character Links a power to a Movement Power (for example to leave a trail of fire behind him as he moves)' date=' the two powers active simultaneously, just like any two Linked powers. The character can make up to a Full Move and still use a Linked attack at the same time, but if he only makes a Half Move that still ends his Phase because the attack is then considered to use the remaining Half Phase Action. However, the Linked power can only be used proportionately to the number of game inches actually moved. Acceleration and velocity don’t factor into the situation, just the number of actual inches moved. [/quote']

Based on the above, I change my recommendation to Linked with Linked power need not be used proportionately to power with which it is Linked (-1/4).

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Help with a power

 

Steve's answer is a bit confusing but this part supports what I was saying earlier:

 

but if he only makes a Half Move that still ends his Phase because the attack is then considered to use the remaining Half Phase Action

 

Yes, you can do both in the same Phase.

 

However, Linking the attack power to the movement does not allow you to make a half move/attack AND get another non-attack half Phase action.

[Heckus]

Re: Help with a power

 

 

However, Linking the attack power to the movement does not allow you to make a half move/attack AND get another non-attack half Phase action.

 

So if you're still advocating Trigger then what are you suggesting as his Trigger condition? "Every time he teleports next to a target"? Would it go off if he teleports next to a friendly target? Is he going to have to spend a half action reseting every phase (which defeats the purpose) or is he going to pay extra to reduce it? He's already paying a good bit for ALVD or NND that does BODY.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Help with a power

 

So if you're still advocating Trigger then what are you suggesting as his Trigger condition? "Every time he teleports next to a target"? Would it go off if he teleports next to a friendly target? Is he going to have to spend a half action reseting every phase (which defeats the purpose) or is he going to pay extra to reduce it? He's already paying a good bit for ALVD or NND that does BODY.

 

That's the tricky part alright.

 

The ability to use an attack ability without 'burning an action' is quite powerful. It all depends on the concept the OP is trying to emulate.

[Ice9]

Re: Help with a power

 

From Steve's answer, it seems like you could do something and then tele-attack, but not tele-attack and then do something.

 

Alternate idea for Trigger, if the actual attack is getting too expensive - put Trigger on the movement, with the Trigger being "point to target position and wink", or something of that nature.

[bubba smith]

Re: Help with a power

 

arewe discussing long range or short range teleportation?

[Split Decision]

Re: Help with a power

 

I ended up building it as a rubber-band 'port strike, just using the teleportation as the special effect of Indirect. To that effect, I limited the range of the attack to half the maximum combat movement of the character's most common teleportation power (remember, there are a couple in his MP), to simulate moving, attacking, and moving back.

 

Of course it's not perfect since the whole attack is a half-move and can be done after a half-teleport... but it is close enough.

[lobsterGun]

Re: Help with a power

 

 

But there is one attack power I'm having trouble with.

 

This is what it should do: The character will teleport up to an adjacent hex/same hex as his target and slice through the target, teleporting a piece out for some small, but hard-to-stop damage. The movement and the attack are easy to contruct as two seperate powers, but there is a lag time between the move and the attack- I want to make this a single, half-phase attack.

 

Any ideas?

 

What you are describing is the practically the definition of Stretching with the advantage +1/4 Does Not Cross Intervening Space. You could even put a limitation on it like -1/2 Instant to enforce the concept that you are teleporting back to where you started at the end of the action.

 

In you put the "Stretching" in a multipower with your TP, that will keep you from both teleporting and "stretching" in the same phase.

 

The stretching will also let you perform other actions besides your HKA (E.G. grab, punch, open a door, anything you could normally do in one phase).

 

For 56 active point you could get 9 inches of stretching for a real cost of 37 points.

[The Hawk God]

Re: Help with a power

 

This is a good choice and it avoids the tricksie nature of trigger. Good call and very effective.

[Split Decision]

Re: Help with a power

 

What you are describing is the practically the definition of Stretching with the advantage +1/4 Does Not Cross Intervening Space. You could even put a limitation on it like -1/2 Instant to enforce the concept that you are teleporting back to where you started at the end of the action.

 

In you put the "Stretching" in a multipower with your TP, that will keep you from both teleporting and "stretching" in the same phase.

 

The stretching will also let you perform other actions besides your HKA (E.G. grab, punch, open a door, anything you could normally do in one phase).

 

For 56 active point you could get 9 inches of stretching for a real cost of 37 points.

 

 

Robust build! I am very impressed, and will be adjusting the character sheet accordingly!

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Help with a power

 

What you are describing is the practically the definition of Stretching with the advantage +1/4 Does Not Cross Intervening Space. You could even put a limitation on it like -1/2 Instant to enforce the concept that you are teleporting back to where you started at the end of the action.

 

In you put the "Stretching" in a multipower with your TP, that will keep you from both teleporting and "stretching" in the same phase.

 

The stretching will also let you perform other actions besides your HKA (E.G. grab, punch, open a door, anything you could normally do in one phase).

 

For 56 active point you could get 9 inches of stretching for a real cost of 37 points.

 

Should instant really be worth -1/2? The reason I ask is that generally when you Stretch, the body part that stretches can be targeted and attacked. I believe even with the “Does Not Cross Intervening Space” Advantage the end point of the Stretch can still be attacked (though I could be wrong). It seems like adding “-1/2 Instant” may actually reduce your chance of taking damage, which just doesn’t seem right to me…

 

I don’t have my book on hand, so sorry if I’m misunderstanding or overlooking something obvious.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Help with a power

 

Besides the obvious range provided by Stretching it also can normally be used as a form of movement as well (grab an object and pull yourself to it). Taking the Does Not Cross... Limitation might remove this option as well as velocity based 'bonus' damage as well.

[lobsterGun]

Re: Help with a power

 

Should instant really be worth -1/2? The reason I ask is that generally when you Stretch, the body part that stretches can be targeted and attacked. I believe even with the “Does Not Cross Intervening Space” Advantage the end point of the Stretch can still be attacked (though I could be wrong). It seems like adding “-1/2 Instant” may actually reduce your chance of taking damage, which just doesn’t seem right to me…

 

I don’t have my book on hand, so sorry if I’m misunderstanding or overlooking something obvious.

 

Even without the book in hand you bring up a good point.

 

The definition of instant has a bit of flexibility.

 

-1/2 This Limitation converts a Constant Power into an Instant Power. It only remains in effect for , at most, the phase it is turned on - just long enough for the character to make an attack roll.

 

 

But when you combine it with Stretching

 

Typically, a character with Stretching can both Stretch to his full distance and then retract back to his normal “shape” in a single Phase. However, there may be instances where the GM wants the character to remain Stretched, at least until the end of the Segment — for example, because it’s possible someone would attack a stretched limb.

 

Granting the full -1/2 limitation may be a bit too much, as it may be too limiting to work with stretching (since some of it sounds like it is already partially built in). Perhaps a "-1/4 Limited Power: one phase only" may be more appropriate. The limitation here is that the character can only perform actions that can be completed in one phase. (No haymakers, disarming bombs, typing letters to grandma, etc...), but it still allows him to be counterattacked.

 

In that case, I'd go with

 

32 9" Stretching (56 Active points)

+1/4 Does Not Cross Intervening Space.

-1/4 Limited Power: One Phase Only.

-1/2 Increased Endurance: 2x End (to bring the real cost down)