How to build: melting a bank vault

[Ockham's Spoon]

I am making a pyrokinetic supervillain, with the ability to gradually make things hotter and hotter until they melt/burn. Ultimately she should be able to bore through a bank vault with this (24 ED, 9 BDY), but I don't want to give her a 25d6 attack for two reasons. First, it is way over the damage cap. Second, if she doesn't actually melt through the vault, it will just cool down and be undamaged. From a dramatic standpoint, I want the heroes to know that if she attacks them, they have a few PHAs to put her down or escape before they end up like the vault door, but I don't necessarily want them to go down with a single hit.

 

So my first though was a Penetrating attack, but that starts doing damage immediately, and I want this to gradually build up and have no effect if it doesn't exceed the threshold. Damage Over Time seemed like it might be good with the optional advantage that the Defense is only applied once. But then I have to pick how many segments it works, and this power is continuous as long as the pyrokinetic focuses on it. I thought of a few other ideas, but they become increasing more complex for a physically straightforward concept.

 

So I throw this out to other Herophiles. How would you model this power? To add a little more complexity, this power would almost certainly be linked to a AoE Surface attack to represent the hot object being dangerous to touch. If anyone can see a good way to build it all as a single attack, that would be great, but if I have to link them so be it.

[Dr. MID-Nite]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Well...the Pentrating advantage sounds like it was tailor made for this "melting beam". Basically, it allows a minimum amount of damage to get through(barring hardened defenses). So..given time...even a low powered Penetrating killing attack would get through that door.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Yes, that is why I first thought of Penetrating too. But if the vault melts at 1500°C and she only has time to heat it to 1000°C, then once it cools down the vault is unaffected. If I go with Penetrating, the damage starts immediately and remains even after the vault cools, which is not what I am going for here.

[Dr. MID-Nite]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Yes' date=' that is why I first thought of Penetrating too. But if the vault melts at 1500°C and she only has time to heat it to 1000°C, then once it cools down the vault is unaffected. If I go with Penetrating, the damage starts immediately and remains even after the vault cools, which is not what I am going for here.[/quote']

 

Hmmm....maybe a Transform attack then, but honestly..if it's just SPFX(to demonstrate to the heroes what said villain MAY do) it may not need to be statted out exactly. Hero reasons from end result to power. So...you have to ask what is the end result and then build the power. If the end result is hole in door...then I still think penetrating Killing is the way to go. If end result is door heats up...then returns to normal...I'd say Transform or Change Environment. I wouldn't overthink it though...you'll just make you head hurt. You could make the attack Constant...and add Damage over Time...or perhaps simply say it takes a Full Phase or Extra Phase...many options..but I tend to use the simpler answers myself.

[JmOz]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Transform Metal to molten metal would probably do it, I would call it a 15 point transform personaly. Adjust dice for how long you want it to take

[Arc Esu]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Another option would be a Drain ED with the Fade time bought down (to once a minute, perhaps) linked to a small (maybe 1 to 2 dice Killing, or 3 to 6 dice Normal) RKA/Blast, and use them together as a combined attack. For the first several attacks, the linked Blast/RKA will bounce off of the vault, but eventually it will melt through as the ED decreases. This also works against PCs, as they'll see the effect of the attack, as well as their lowered ED, and can do the rough mental math of how long they have before they're in trouble.

[JmOz]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Interesting Idea, gave you some rep for it

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Tunneling with a gradiated extra time, so that the longer time period spent, the higher def she can tunnel through. Also buy the adder so it doesn't fill in behind you.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Transform crossed my mind too, but it has two drawbacks in my mind. First, when used on a bank vault it is fine, but when turned on a character, you are basically Transforming a character from normal to cooked (dead), and really that is a job for a RKA (Tunneling can't be used on characters either, although I guess in a Multipower you could just define which slot was in use by what target you had). Second, the threshold for the power should be defined by the ED, not the BODY, which is what Transform does. Hmm... actually you could have a Penetrating Transform against and Alternate Defense (ED) which could work pretty well combined with the Multipower slots...

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Ok. If you want to hurt characters, buy multiple powers. You probably need 3+ powers:

 

Transform

Tunneling

Killing Attack

Killing Attack with NND

Blast

Flight (hot air baloon powers a go go)

Images (flashlight)

Flash (really bright and quick flame)

Defenses (who doesn't need defenses? probably built as melting things before they can hurt her)

 

just grab all the powers you need.

[prestidigitator]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

It may not be real standard, but how about putting something like Constant and All or Nothing (-1/4) on the attack? Essentially all damage done is reverted if the attack is interrupted before the desired threshold is reached. Add Concentration or something similar to taste.

[Ice9]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Another option would be a Drain ED with the Fade time bought down (to once a minute, perhaps) linked to a small (maybe 1 to 2 dice Killing, or 3 to 6 dice Normal) RKA/Blast, and use them together as a combined attack.

This looks like a good solution, actually.

 

If you did want to use Transform, you could accomplish it with a similar method: Transform person/object to person/object that has no defense against and Vulnerability to the linked small RKA. So normally a 2d6 RKA is not that threatening, but once you're transformed, it's doing ~14 BODY with no defense, enough to drop most people to dying and seriously wound even tough supers.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

The All or Nothing limitation would work well on the vault, but I am now thinking that the ED Drain linked to the small RKA is best because it has the fade effect built in (as the temperature drops) and because the vault won't feel it at all until the ED is low enough for BODY damage, but characters will start to take STUN damage well before that. Also, it gives me something to link the Too Hot to Touch! AoE Surface attack strength to, so that it fades along with the temperature drop.

 

Thanks all for your help!

[Fireg0lem]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

I think this is DOT, Target's Defenses Only Apply Once, and with some sort of limitation like "Must Maintain Contact with Target or DOT Ends."

[dmjalund]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

how do you simulate the fact that well before it starts melting, touching the metal will actually cause damage (to the toucher)

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

1) hand wave with environmental effects

2) actually give it a side effect (or linked transform) that gives the target an AoE: surface

3) Make UmaroVI's dot sticky.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: How to build: melting a bank vault

 

Damage Over Time seemed like a good fit to me at first too, with the alternate advantage that defenses only apply once. The problem with DoT is that you have to specify a number of iterations, but the power I have in mind is continuous as long as the pyrokinetic pays END; she will eventually be able to melt through anything given enough time. I could just buy a huge number of iterations (this is an NPC villain after all) and figure that is sufficient to melt through anything I guess, but that somehow doesn't feel right.

 

As for the hot surface, I would build it with the AoE:Surface in the 6e rules. There is even an example along these lines in the sidebar (My Heat Vision Makes Your Gun Too Hot to Hold!). Normally AoE: Surface doesn't actually damage the surface; it is like a damage shield (it is how you build the 5e Damage Shield under 6e rules in fact). If I did go with the DoT option, I could tack AoE:Surface on it with the modifier that the surface does take damage (±0) and have the whole thing as a single RKA instead of a bundle of linked powers which does have the appeal of simplicity.

 

Lots of good suggestions here.