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Absorption Power - What's the deal with the Increased Maximum multiples?


Jed Clayton

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Hello everyone.

 

I admit I am still new to many things in the Hero System (especially in 6E), like some of the more advanced options for powers and the ones with the stop sign printed next to them. So, questions are bound to come up.

 

Last Friday night I was building a new player-character for Champions with a new player. That player had specifically asked me to explain Hero 6E to him, so I wanted to get this right. One of the character's special gimmicks is an electricity-siphoning ability that we wanted to define as Absorption (6E1, ppg. 165-167).

 

I noticed that Absorption has changed noticeably from 5th Edition to 6th Edition, such as not being rolled on d6 anymore, but written as a fixed number in BODY.

 

What I'm not quite getting is the Advantage Increased Maximum for +1/4 per each "doubling" of the maximum possible value of BODY absorbed.

 

Increased Maximum +1/4: increases your maximum to x2

Increased Maximum +1/2: increases your maximum to x4

Increased Maximum +3/4: increases your maximum to x8

Increased Maximum +1: increases your maximum to x16

Increased Maximum +1 1/4: increases your maximum to x32

Increased Maximum +1 1/2: increases your maximum to x64

etc.

 

 

However, the normal maximum which can be absorebed is already double the amount of BODY bought for the base Power, for example 10 BODY if you have bought Absorption 5 BODY. If I can actually get double the maximum that easily, and then double that doubled number, and double that again, etc., wouldn't it be much more cost-effective to simply purchase a low number as the base for the Absorption and add several levels of Increased Maximum?

 

For example:

Just a normal Absorption of 40 BODY could absorb a maximum of 80 BODY to the benefit of the character. The first doubling is free and already included in the Power as written. That Power would cost exactly 40 points.

 

However, to get the same maximum, I could also buy Absorption 10 BODY with Increased Maximum (+1/2), getting two additional doublings. I'd get 8 times 10 that way, 80 BODY. But now it would only cost me 10 points x 1 1/2 = 15 points.

 

A pretty crass difference, paying only 15 points instead of 40 points! What benefit would I get from going with the first version? My player pointed out the same thing.

 

The higher the base amount amount of BODY bought in the Power, the larger this discrepancy gets, of course. The END cost is also much lower if you can keep the Active Points low this way.

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Re: Absorption Power - What's the deal with the Increased Maximum multiples?

 

I think it is similar to how non-combat multiples of movement work.

 

The base Body of Absorption is still the max that can be absorbed during a specific Phases action.

The increased maximum just changes the total maximum aggregate amount that can be absorbed before the character is 'topped off'.

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Re: Absorption Power - What's the deal with the Increased Maximum multiples?

 

The base Body of Absorption is still the max that can be absorbed during a specific Phases action.

The increased maximum just changes the total maximum aggregate amount that can be absorbed before the character is 'topped off'.

 

Ah, that would make sense then. Thanks a lot!

 

I wasn't thinking about the Phases there. Since the character usually gets several Phases in which to "soak energy" (he will be SPD 4), the higher base number for BODY still retains its meaning.

 

Really, thanks, I appreciate it. Replies on the Hero Games board are very fast.

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