Critique this build: Transfer w/ physical manifestation.

[Sociotard]

I was making a power for my spellbuster concept. The concept for the power was that the spellbusting priest could animate a bundle of divine energy to create a "sprite" that could directly attack sources of arcane energy. Please critique, as the final build was so . . . complex I probably messed something up.

 

I came up with the following compound power:

Summon Faith Sprite: (Total: 52 Active Cost, 18 Real Cost)

• Telekinesis (4 STR), Fine Manipulation (16 Active Points); Only When Serving The God's Purposes (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (3d6 if the sprite is destroyed or dispelled; -1/4), Physical Manifestation (-1/4) (Real Cost: 6)
• Transfer 1d6, Can Transfer Maximum Of 8 Points, Ranged (+1/2), Indirect (Any origin, any direction; +3/4) (36 Active Points); Only When Serving The God's Purposes (-1/2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Physical Manifestation (-1/4), Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (3d6 Normal damage if Sprite is destroyed or dispelled; -1/4) (Real Cost: 12)

 

Okay, now here's how I envision this working. The Priest spends one full phase creating the Sprite. He spends one END (and that's long term END) just to make the Sprite, plus an additional one END for every five minutes the thing is maintained. The priest also spends END whenever the thing uses its STR or Transfer. The priest must concentrate throughout. If something breaks his concentration, or if the Sprite is destroyed or dispelled, the 3d6 Normal side effect kicks in.

 

I was under the impression that being ranged and Indirect meant that the Sprite could fly around (at perhaps 6"). True false?

 

Also, that because this is a Compound Power, both things can use the same Full Phase action and Incantation. Creating the sprite does not take two full phases with seperate Incatations. True false?

 

The Telekinesis is self explanitory. It's there so the Sprite can interact with its environment, if weakly.

 

The Transfer is the whole point of the power. It takes 1d6 from any magic power and dumps it into Transfer. Gotta love feedback loops. I put in the "increased maximum" adder just so it could be increased too. If this Sprite is maintained long enough (difficult with the END lims) it will become a nightmare.

 

I with Transfer increasing like that, I expect END issues to become problematic. Any other thoughts.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Critique this build: Transfer w/ physical manifestation.

 

I don't think that's quite legal....or rather, I should say, it wont do quite what you want. Note specifically that Transfer is an Instant Power and thus PhysLim isn't even available for it without making it continuous.

 

 

It's perfectly viable to make a "summon" effect as a Physical Manifestation for some other mechanic (in fact, I have a write up for a character called Mythic for whom that is their entire shtick laying around somewhere). The SFX is a "summoned" entity, and that works ok as long as you don't push it too far.

 

 

However, to have the effect be able to move around _independently_ of the "summoner" is problematic and gets very expensive, requiring some combination of Continuous + Uncontrolled (or Continuing Charges), and either a version of Continuous that allows the character to use an action to retarget the effect (described in Fantasy HERO IIRC) or else Lingering, or else special dispensation to use Mobile and possibly AoE (if its not already AoE) to get around the targeting lock issue, and arbitrary determination of how the effect is able to switch targets.

 

To bundle multiple effects together into a compound array of possible abilities usable by the same "summoned entity" complicates this further.

 

 

Once you pass a certain complexity threshold, Summon to call a fully defined creature is the way to go mechanically for both clarity and efficiency. The "summon as SFX" shtick is best used for simple one-off effects IMO.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Critique this build: Transfer w/ physical manifestation.

 

Mythic

 

Found the sheet. This character was submitted for play in a past campaign. The player's version used summons and had a plethora of related sheets for the summoned entities that I really did not feel like managing. In the end after some analysis each creature was basically called to provide a specific service, so I simplified the character tremendously by reducing it down to a series of effects with the "Summoned Being" sfx, arrayed across 2 MPs. The cost savings involved also allowed the addition of a number of effects not covered by the original character.

 

 

However, the player was married to their implementation and we couldn't reach an accord, so the character never saw play in any form.

 

It's still an intriguing character concept, and is a useful how to example.

[Sociotard]

Re: Critique this build: Transfer w/ physical manifestation.

 

I was thinking of its presence as being continuous even if the transfer wasn't. I can see your point though.

 

It's a shame because this build did a lot that I don't think Summon can do. For example, the END for this build comes from the summoner. Each time the summoned creature uses its strength or Transfer, the summoner has to pay the END cost. I don't think I'm allowed to do that with Summon.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Critique this build: Transfer w/ physical manifestation.

 

Another option worth consideration is a Limited Duplication

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Critique this build: Transfer w/ physical manifestation.

 

I was thinking of its presence as being continuous even if the transfer wasn't. I can see your point though.

 

It's a shame because this build did a lot that I don't think Summon can do. For example, the END for this build comes from the summoner. Each time the summoned creature uses its strength or Transfer, the summoner has to pay the END cost. I don't think I'm allowed to do that with Summon.

 

Couldn't you just build that as a side effect on the summon?

[Sociotard]

Re: Critique this build: Transfer w/ physical manifestation.

 

Possibly. The trick is that it's a "feel thing" kind of side effect. Technically, side effects are based on the number of points in the side effect. A 3d6 Normal Damage side effect works because it has a point worth (15) and therefore an easily determined eschelon on the side effect table (1/4). Saying "the summoner pays END instead of the summonee" doesn't seem to have a definite point value.