Impact of Multiple Attacks

[ned-kogar]

Hello.

 

I'm about to re-birth an old 4th/5th Edition supers campaign into 6th, and am deeply excited by the many excellent changes.

 

Something that looks like it will have a substantial impact on combat is Multiple Attack.

 

I'd be very interested to know how much difference Multiple Attacks make to your combats (eg. Swifter outcomes? More variety? Inventive combos?) and whether I'm likely to need to take them into account when overseeing the adaptation of characters to 6th.

 

Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Ned

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

It isn't a game-breaker.

 

It works somewhat like Autofire, the better you roll, the more of your attacks hit. Each applies to defenses separately, it costs more END / charges, and if CV is adjusted you only get the worst bonus / penalty.

 

Sweep, Autofire, and Multiple Attacks all basically work off the same mechanic.

[Rapier]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

We've rarely used any of the multiple-attack maneuvers. In most cases, the penalties (and END Cost) are prohibitive enough that you're not going to be throwing them out every phase.

 

About the only difference I could foresee is the amount of damage per phase increasing and dropping the opponents a bit faster.

[Nevenall]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

I can second what everyone else has said and I would that add that multiple attacks help very skilled characters to deal with large numbers of low skill opponents in a timely manner.

[ned-kogar]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

Thanks for the responses - that all sounds sensible. I guess situations where there's a large disparity between OCV and DCV will be where it turns up most, as suggested. Hmm. I might still try a couple of test combats. Any excuse...

 

Thanks again,

 

Ned

[Rapier]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

Thanks for the responses - that all sounds sensible. I guess situations where there's a large disparity between OCV and DCV will be where it turns up most' date=' as suggested. Hmm. I might still try a couple of test combats. Any excuse... [/quote']

 

That's very true. Against markedly lesser opponents where the penalties for maneuvers won't have such a large impact, you can see quite a bit of extra fanciness.

 

Of course, we see that regularly too. What happens when an opponent is Entangled (and 0 DCV)? Everyone blasts him!

 

At the same time, against a target with a much higher SPD, you will almost never see someone Haymaker.

[BeZurKur]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

In our game, we sorta rediscovered it. I'm surprised how much it has come up since then. Unlike Autofire, it is maneuver and doesn't affect cost, so it can be a little misleading. A couple of levels negates the penalty to OCV and a character pushing the the campaign DCs has effectively doubled his attacks. Consider that the villain Pulsar could reduce the Champion Defender into negatives within one segment with a successful one-two. Let's say he does a 2 attack versus Defender: Base OCV 7 + Levels 3 - Multiple Attack 2 = 8 OCV. He hits on an 11- inflicting an average of 22 stun each taking Defender into -12 stun in one phase. Of course, he better hit with both, because if he doesn't, he's now 1/2 DCV and Defender can do multiple attacks too. In my games, this has dramatically changed how we play. Personally, I like what it has done to combat, but I certainly agree that trying it out first is best.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

Multiple attack is 90% just 5th editions Sweep + Rapid Fire. It's a good maneuver, but not inherently game breaking (unless you can use it on powers that don't require hit rolls like Aid)

[Fireg0lem]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

The major uses of it are mainly when someone's DCV is dropped, such as if someone starts a Haymaker, gets into a takes-no-damage entangle or a grapple, or is stunned or prone. Secondarily:

Against people with really low natural DCV

With AE attacks

Rapid Attack Aids (don't allow this one)

[The Main Man]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

Multiple Attack is just a mash up of Sweep and Rapid Fire and it technically expands upon those two due to the interchangeable quality. Any problems inherent to Sweep or Rapid Fire are still present with Multiple Attack.

 

And remember, anything that benefits the players will benefit their enemies even more due to the numbers game.

 

It also makes powerful villains even stronger if they have some ranged and melee capabilities because now they can mix them up within a single phase.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

I never allow ranged and HTH attacks to be combined into Multiple Attacks, except in pulp-y type games were punching one guy and shooting another is a "trope of the genre."

 

Or occasionally if the player describes it really well ("I use my x2 KB charged punch then fire my charged beam as he flies away!")

[Chimera 12]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

Keep in mind that if you mix hand-to-hand and ranged attacks in a multiple attack, that's an extra -2 to OCV above and beyond the standard multiple attack penalty. The same applies to mixing mental and non-mental attacks. (6E2 76) So maybe it's not quite bad enough to require banning...

[spaceprincessecho]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

I've personally only ever used it either if my character was fighting with two weapons or I wanted to "sweep" across multiple foes. It hadn't really occurred to me that I could batter away at one foe with a single attack many times.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

We used them in some fashion since 4E since it never made sense that you Couldn't attack with two powers at once. Some genres practically require it. Only made the game better.

[dmjalund]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

Impact of Multiple Attacks?

 

Multiple Bruises.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Impact of Multiple Attacks

 

I've personally only ever used it either if my character was fighting with two weapons or I wanted to "sweep" across multiple foes. It hadn't really occurred to me that I could batter away at one foe with a single attack many times.

 

Me and my group have been doing this since the 4th edition days, when The Powers That Be at HERO Games vetoed the use of Sweep against a single opponent. (they argued thats what Autofire was for)