Rapid aging Attack

[bigmack83]

I am currently making a player for a new game (I haven't played for quite some time. Maybe 2001). The idea behind the character is that he died in the American civil war and after death was possessed by an evil spirit. Eventually he learned to take control of this spirit and use the powers for doing his own good (which frustrates the hell out of the evil spirit ). anywho, all his powers are based around the darkness sfx. one of the powers i have is called "Wither" which does darkness damage vs ED to the target and as a side effect can rapidly age and deteriorate a living or non living being/object.

 

Wither: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 3d6, Required Hands One-Handed (+0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), No Normal Defense (Defense vs Dark/Evil; +1) (112 Active Points); Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), No STR Bonus (-1/2)

 

Basically in a short amount of time he could age a living plant until it is dead, or age a peice of wood until it is so old and rotted it turns to ash. One example i could give is my PC were in a headlock i could grab the opponants elbow and use wither, aging it drastically enough to cause severe pain or even breaking the bones (HKA 3d6 , NND should do that pretty quickly). If the opponant were to hold on for longer i could reduce the BODY in that area to 0 effectively deteriorating his elbow so rapidly it turned to dust (seperating the lower half of his arm most likely). The game is a pretty powerful game as it stands already. 400 + 75

 

But some players have differing opinions on how to add the aging effect onto the power. One says it just may be a special effect, which i could agree with if it were a minor aging, but its more of a rapid aging. One player suggested using major transform but im unsure how to build it this way. The best i can think of is to add a drain to the power:

 

Drain BODY 1d6, Cumulative (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), NND (Non aging targets; +1), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Year; +2 1/2) (55 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses almost all of its effectiveness vs immortal or non aging targets (-2), Only to give effect of aging (-1/4)

 

Putting these 2 together in a compund power is the best i can think of. The other option is to link the drain to the HKA that way i dont have to actually age something so drastically (so i could still use a small amount of aging as a special effect like aging a plant from a sapling to a flower).

 

One example to help clarify that i saw in another thread was if i were to age an egg would it cause the egg to hatch or would it age and deteriorate all the substances individually. Since my character is more darkness and destruction based, it would not likely hatch the egg but rapidly age the individual cells to the point of being destroyed. The power is inside of a Multipower built around a 175 point pool. So that is the only real limitation i have. It is a powerful game and the GM is allowing really anything we can come up with. Im open to any suggestions related to this as well.

 

Thanks for the help in advance

[Vestnik]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

The problem with age as a KA is that it also weakens you, pretty much across the board. You don't get to be 90 and have a 20 DEX. It would be expensive, but I think a Drain vs. all characteristics simultaneously might do it.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

The trouble with drain is that you can never quite be sure what effects aging will have - different GMs will treat it different ways. You can set the drain rates, obviously, but then again different materials respond to aging in different ways. A person is going to feel it more than a tree, and a tree is going to feel it more than a lump of gold.

 

I know it is somewhat cliched but transform fits the bill pretty well here. A partial transform can have someone aging very rapidly. Average Body is 10, so you need 20 points of effect to moulder someone to dust (as this is a sort of supernatural effect I'd have it reversed by some sort of arcane ritual). 20 points is 6 dice of effect, so a 2d6 major (partial) transform would age someone considerably on the first hit (although the actual effect would be mainly cosmetic), to a doddering oldster on the second, and to a pile of dust on the third.

 

Also the defence to NND (if you really need NND) should include LS: Immortal (with reduced effect if you have longer than normal lifespan).

[bigmack83]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

that sounds pretty good to me. i will run that by my GM and see what he says. since u said the transform itself would mostly be cosmetic, the hka would take care of the actual deterioration of the cellular structure when using the transform. also for the LS Immmortality i had already added that as a limited power loses nearly all of its effectiveness vs things that dont age with the same on the hka as well. with varying levels of effectiveness for long life supports.. this help clarify it up some. when i get back to the character i will repost the power so u guys can see what i have (and to make sure its correct). thanks for the help.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

If you are going to model it as a HKA NND, you also need the advantage Does BDY(+1) or you'll only be doing STN.

 

Since you are mostly looking at cellular death due to aging and you aren't really worried about accelerating time, I think the HKA NND should work fine unless you are really wanting a crippling effect rather than just damage. You should include under the NND immunity conditions that it only affects "ageable" people/objects so that you can't really affect a lump of gold, but you might be able to hurt someone with LS: Doesn't Age (depending on the sfx of that ability). You might also make it operate at half power against nonorganics like robots, that could technically be aged until they fall apart but it is a lot harder to age metal than flesh (if possible at all given the sfx of your power).

 

______________________________________________

It's dark. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

yeah, I'd go with a partial effect transform, at one-third body, the person gains the Age 40+ disad or equivalent, at 2/3 they gain Age 60+, and at full maybe 80+(no further disads, but perhaps it triggers a linked slow-return drain vs. str, dex, con and body, xd6, return 5 pts/month--which is about how long it'd take to recover from the transform).

[bigmack83]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

good call on Does Body, didnt even catch that. thaks. i am liking the transform method as i can use the power in different ways (i may not always want to totally destroy something, just might want to age it faster). i also like megaplayboy's variation adding the age related disad pts to whatever im using the power on. and im am still working on the effects on things that dont age normally, but you guys are pretty much on the same track im on.

[bigmack83]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

Here's what i have:

 

Wither: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 3d6, Required Hands One-Handed (+0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), No Normal Defense (Defense vs Dark/Evil; +1), Does BODY (+1) (157 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (vs non aging substances; -1), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), No STR Bonus (-1/2), No Knockback (-1/4)

 

Rapid Aging: Major Transform 1d6, Partial Transform (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (vs non aging substances; -1), Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Powers do not work on holy ground; -1), Linked (Wither; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -1/4)

 

I havent ever used transformation so im not sure if it is correct above. What do you guys think?

[megaplayboy]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

Here's what i have:

 

Wither: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 3d6, Required Hands One-Handed (+0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), No Normal Defense (Defense vs Dark/Evil; +1), Does BODY (+1) (157 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (vs non aging substances; -1), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), No STR Bonus (-1/2), No Knockback (-1/4)

 

Rapid Aging: Major Transform 1d6, Partial Transform (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (vs non aging substances; -1), Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Powers do not work on holy ground; -1), Linked (Wither; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -1/4)

 

I havent ever used transformation so im not sure if it is correct above. What do you guys think?

 

If you're going to write it up that way, I'd probably raise the transform to 3d6...that way, a normal will be killed by the KA at the same time that the transform reaches full effect, and even tough heroes will be really messed up at that point.

[bigmack83]

Re: Rapid aging Attack

 

good point, thanks. i will make the adjustments.