sticky electric bolt

[prestidigitator]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

IIRC' date=' Sticky only spreads to the second "generation". I.e., it affects the target (1st Generation), and those who touch the target (2nd Generation), but nothing past that. It doesn't affect those touching those who are touching the target.[/quote']

 

Really? That means it doesn't work at all for diseases. Huh. So is Transform the only good candidate for contagious diseases then? Because I've always used Sticky (often with a small Limitation restricting transmission under certain circumstances).

[prestidigitator]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

As for the OP, I think I might go with a modified form of Sticky. If the targets only had to be adjacent to each other, I'd definitely go with AoE, but the cases in which a bunch of people are actually touching each other often aren't all that common. A "mosh pit"? A big dogpile? A family saying grace before dinner? A pagan ritual? Not much more I can think of. Even on airliners and in big lines (e.g. for a club or movie theater) people usually maintain at least a small gap between each other if they aren't in a family unit.

 

However, I say a modified form of Sticky because this wouldn't have the additional requirements of Continuous/Uncontrolled or the equivalent. The normal value of Sticky seems to be about right to me, given that it is only going to affect targets in the instant and given the above viewpoint on physical contact between targets.

[SteveZilla]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

Really? That means it doesn't work at all for diseases. Huh. So is Transform the only good candidate for contagious diseases then? Because I've always used Sticky (often with a small Limitation restricting transmission under certain circumstances).

 

I believe so. As far as I can figure, some form of Uncontrolled Major Transformation to give the target the Uncontrolled Major Transform as a power they then have, is the only way to have something that can spread person-to-person-to-person. I think the Transform would also likely inflict a Susceptibility that degrades the person's Characteristics.

[prestidigitator]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

I believe so. As far as I can figure' date=' some form of Uncontrolled Major Transformation to give the target the Uncontrolled Major Transform as a power they then have, is the only way to have something that can spread person-to-person-to-person. I think the Transform would also likely inflict a Susceptibility that degrades the person's Characteristics.[/quote']

 

Nor would setting people on fire seem to work very well with Sticky. I've been set ablaze directly and if you touch me all your clothes go up, but if Joe touches you, nothing happens? I see a house rule coming on here. That version of Sticky seems pretty useless for anything you'd actually want it for.

[SteveZilla]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

Nor would setting people on fire seem to work very well with Sticky. I've been set ablaze directly and if you touch me all your clothes go up' date=' but if Joe touches you, nothing happens? I see a house rule coming on here. That version of [i']Sticky[/i] seems pretty useless for anything you'd actually want it for.

 

I view it as being that way because game balance is more important than "realism".

 

I think there is still call for using the Transformation type of build vs. using an expanded Sticky Advantage. Like the difference between being covered with flaming napalm (Sticky) and your self being contagious (Transformed).

[Sean Waters]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

I know I'm off on one again, but here we have a common problem: sticky doesn't pass itself on past the first generation (unless I read the power modifier wrong).

 

Transform is a cunning idea but I've tried and it is relatively complex to actually build.

 

I thought of using Summon to create a disease and a disease vector but that got even hairier. Still the idea of a self-summoning disease organism is quite attractive...

 

So, back to basics: I've often mentioned how you can create planet killing powers with just a few points, so...

 

The Disease: Drain BODY and INT 1 point, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2), BODY and INT simultaneously (+1/2), Cumulative (+1/2), Indirect (Any origin, any direction; +3/4), Continuous (+1), Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1), No Normal Defense (LS: Disease; +1), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1), MegaScale (1" = 10,000 km; +1 1/4), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +1 1/2) (33 Active Points); Extra Time (20 Minutes, -2 1/2), Activation Roll 11- (-1), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (Delayed onset: anyone in AoE will only be affected when they are in contact with a disease vector; -1/2)

 

OK, what that does is this: it hits everyone on the planet BUT it only actually starts affecting them once they come into contact with a disease vector from the original infection i.e. until they drink the infected water, get bitten by an infected flea, breathe infected air (or whatever) they are fine - and might always be fine.

 

Once the vector gets to them, however, the disease onset starts. You can decide the vector (it is pure sfx).

 

The disease cumulatively drains 1 point of Body and INT every 20 minutes on 11-, and the points do not start returning for 24 hours.

 

The effect of that is that people lose, on average, 45 character points of Body and 45 character points of INT in 24 hours: that means that the disease wll have a normal hallucinating after about 6 1/2 hours and dead inside 14 hours. Nasty. You may want to tone that down a little

 

Hmm. Anyway, not perfect by a long shot, (only people on-planet at the time of the initial infection can be affected - but that is not too great a problem in most games), but it does mean that you can kill the disease by cutting the vectors, which is quite nice.

[SteveZilla]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

So an astronaut that is exposed to the vecor but then travels outside the AoE is safe?

[Sean Waters]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

So an astronaut that is exposed to the vecor but then travels outside the AoE is safe?

 

No, it is sticky: they still get hit and suffer the consequences even if they leave the AoE.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

I wrangled with this problem once upon a time before, and came to the conclusion that, although I'd like to see Sticky able to do this, it probably best fits as a variant of a Area of Effect.

I called it Area of Effect: Conductive, and with the idea of variant AoE's being introduced with AoE:Voice it becomes closer to the canon way to do it.

[KX_Mushashi]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

I am not sure if this has been mentioned yet, so sorry if I missed it and am re-mentioning it. People are not 100% conductive. I have started to work on my electric master and I found the Reduce by range. I was putting this on an electric entangle effect but the physics still apply. I am new to the system so I don't know how to fully handle this, but I would modify the AoE affect with a modifier that reduced over the number of people or the distance traveled through non-water/non-air/non-conductive metal materials. Though we could just call it over distance increments to keep it simpler. Explosion already has this functionality built in though there is another element that I don't think has been brought up. I would also say if someone in the chain reduced the damage to 0 then that chain is broken regardless if you do AoE or Explosion, though any other independent chains would still be active.

 

Also I read that there was fear about rain transmitting the charge, and I didn't see it mentioned so I think I will mention it. When there is thunder and lighting it is not the rain drops that carry a charge but the actual bolt arching to the ground. A rain droplet is too small to carry a strong enough charge to arch drop to drop to people. I hope this helps generate a few ideas.

[SteveZilla]

Re: sticky electric bolt

 

No' date=' it is sticky: they still get hit and suffer the consequences even if they leave the AoE.[/quote']

 

Okay, but then I believe they stop being a vector to "infect" others outside the AoE.