Armor-Shredding Strike

[bigdamnhero]

Looking for some second opinions. This is for a ~wuxia martial arts/swashbuckling fantasy game I’m running; powerful heroic, Powers capped in the 40-50 AP range. I want to design an attack that targets the opponent’s armor, cutting straps or otherwise damaging the armor to make it unusable. The armor is not permanently destroyed, but repair takes time and typically an Armorsmith roll. (Or just buy new armor.) The sfx is a Ch’i-fueled weapon attack, but it could just as easily be a spell or whatever. (I would probably limit the number of Charges per day to keep it from becoming unbalancing, but I’ve left that off to keep things simple – in any event, it’s the AP that’s the limiting factor, not the RP.)

 

My first instinct was to build this as a Drain…

 

Armor-Shredding Strike

: Drain Resistant Protection 2d6, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +1 ¼) (45 Active Points); No Range (-½), OIF (Any Edged Weapon; -½), Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), Limited Power (Armor must have Focus or some physical manifestation; -¼) [18 RP, 4 END]

 

But the Delayed Return Rate jacked up the cost so much I could only squeeze in 2d6. With an average roll of 7, halved vs. Defensive Power, you’d only be Draining ~1 PD/ED per attack . That’s much weaker than what I was looking for – if it takes you a full Turn to halve your opponent’s defenses, why bother?

 

So then I thought – maybe it’s more of a Transform, since we’re inflicting “a long-term or permanent effect” (6E1 303).

 

Armor-Shredding Strike II

: Major Transform 3d6 (Armor Into Damaged & Unusable Armor, Healed back by use of Armorsmith Skill), Partial Transform (+½) (45 Active Points); No Range (-½), OIF (Any Edged Weapon; -½), Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), Limited Target (Armor must have Focus or some physical manifestation; -¼) [18 RP, 4 END]

 

So if a suit of 7 DEF plate mail has 14 BODY*, 3-4 successful attacks (ave roll = 11) would be more than enough to exceed twice its BODY for Transform purposes. With the Partial Transform, you can scale the damage so that each strike reduces the armor’s PD/ED proportionally.

 

Which build do you like better, and why? Is the Transform too munchkiny?

 

* Related question: The Breakable Focus rules state that a Focus is destroyed when it takes BODY equal to twice its PD/ED (6E1 p379). The rules of Armor Breakage in Fantasy Hero suggest a suit of armor’s BODY is equal to three times its PD/ED (FH p225). Which guideline do you think is more appropriate in this case, and why?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Steve]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Why not try it as a Dispel?

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

With 45 AP to work with, what about a 15d6 Dispel? Aren't foci demolished if they are successfully Dispelled? With a standard effect of 45, or an average roll of 52.5, that covers 7 DEF plate mail pretty well.

[Christopher]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

What exaclty Dispel means (for repairability) is mostly up to the GM. It can be as easy as hitting the reset switch/start button on your computer. It could be that most straps have to be replaced or it could be that every circuit is fried (total loss).

 

About the different "break points":

I don't have the rules, but this is my shot: You have to buy Armor with Focus, in Fanatsy. That, or a spell (wich has it's own limitation). Also, the suggested allowed armor values/active points might be lower than in Superheroic and Killing attacks are more common. Overall this could affect the durability of armor negatively in Fantasy games (had to do the math to be sure).

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

With 45 AP to work with' date=' what about a 15d6 Dispel? Aren't foci demolished if they are successfully Dispelled? With a standard effect of 45, or an average roll of 52.5, that covers 7 DEF plate mail pretty well.[/quote']

 

This also works on Armor that isn't bought as a Focus (such as using Only In Alternate Identity for 'indestructible' suits of armor), thus even more benefit.

 

As a side note, you could also just do a penetrating HKA; if a focus takes body damage, it's damaged. If it only has one power (like most suits of armor will), it's effectively destroyed because its only power just stopped working. This seems like the simplest version to me.

[RexMundi]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Dispel is usually how I tend to write it up. Very handy power for a lot of things.

 

~Rex

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Why not try it as a Dispel?

Uh... [headdesk] Cuz I'm an idiot, that's why.

Brain fart, thanks. I've only been playing this game for 25 years...

 

Edit: Actually I think in my brain I was comparing Heroic-level Dispel vs Superheroic defenses (in the Champions game I run) and concluded the all-or-nothing nature of Dispel wouldn't be enough. (sigh)

[Naanomi]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Dispel is good...

 

How about some sort of heavily-advantaged 1 point Linked HKA attack that hits focuses when you hit the target? That would be permanent damage (which is nice and fits SFX), would likely take out the armor (or some of its functions if it has more than one), and not slow down gameplay at only one double-penetrating point.

[Christopher]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

How about some sort of heavily-advantaged 1 point Linked HKA attack that hits focuses when you hit the target? That would be permanent damage (which is nice and fits SFX)' date=' would likely take out the armor (or some of its functions if it has more than one), and not slow down gameplay at only one double-penetrating point.[/quote']

Hmm. Better not.

Some guys may build this as a 5 times Autofire and disable a complete focus with just one attack action. Actually, I think even using that falls under "what not to build".

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Hmm. Better not.

Some guys may build this as a 5 times Autofire and disable a complete focus with just one attack action. Actually, I think even using that falls under "what not to build".

Some guy might have a competent GM who won't ban a build he doesn't find unbalancing just because adding something else could make it so.

[Christopher]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Some guy might have a competent GM who won't ban a build he doesn't find unbalancing just because adding something else could make it so.

I find it always cirtical that a 7 AP Power can disable a 200 AP Focus with one hit. Even for 80 AP it does not soudns very balanced, considerign what AP you would need with a non Penetrating attack. Or Dispell. Or Transform. I guess that is just a possibility that slipped through the net.

And I have high doubts you would want to be on the recieving end of that.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

I did not, in fact, say that I approved of that particular build, only that "some guy" might someday try to add autofire to a similar build thus making it unbalanced is a very stupid reason to ban a build. Whether or not it is already unbalanced is a completely different issue.

[Naanomi]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

I was just suggesting it as an option, not necessarily the best one. The Dispel looks good to me, as does the transform. This option, however, might be an acceptable 'adder' for another power that, while itself is only 7 points or so, is linked to an 80 point attack that (taken as a whole between the two powers) is not unfairly costed.

 

Also might be good in a heroic campaign on a serrated armor-shredding dagger or something, when point cost of equipment isn't as important an issue as accurately modeling the effect.

[dmjalund]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Then again, an accessible focus can be disabled, by just being grabbed. Irrespective of the focuses points.

[Christopher]

Re: Armor-Shredding Strike

 

Then again' date=' an accessible focus can be disabled, by just being grabbed. Irrespective of the focuses points.[/quote']

An Inacessible can't, regardless of it's points. But it can still be as easily one-hitted with it.