Transfer Questions

[CrosshairCollie]

I know it's in the book somewhere, I just can't find it.

 

1. If a character uses an Area of Effect Transfer that hits, say, 5 people for 10 points of Transfer each, does he get 10 points, or 50?

 

2. If a character has two powers that Transfer to the same attribute, what is his maximum points of Transfer? The greater 'max roll', or the lesser?

[Escafarc]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

This is from the FAQ:

 

If a character has an Area Of Effect Transfer, does he apply the effect to all targets within the area and get all the points?

No. He rolls the effect on his Transfer dice and determines the amount. He then divides that as equally as possible between all the affected persons.

[Escafarc]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

Of course in 6E this is now done as a Linked Drain /Aid so each target in the AOE would take full effect from the Drain and you would be limited to the number of dice in the Aid part.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

Of course. I might default to that anyway just because of what I'm trying to model.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

I have always run it where it drains whatever is rolled on the dice from every target in the AoE equally, but the character only gets as many points as he/she rolls on the dice added to their character. It should work just like AoE Drain does, with the exception of points being given to the character.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

To me, this was always one of the flaws in Transfer. If I buy AoE Radius on Drain, it costs 20 points per d6, and it means I drain everyone in the area instead of a single target. If I buy AoE Radius on Transer, it costs 30 points per d6, and it means I drain everyone in the area instead of a single target. Why am I paying an extra 5 points per d6 to make Transfer AoE when the benefit is identical tro Drain? Add the FAQ answer that I don't even get to Drain everyone - I have to divide it equally - and I doubled the cost of the power for no real benefit.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

To me' date=' this was always one of the flaws in Transfer. If I buy AoE Radius on Drain, it costs 20 points per d6, and it means I drain everyone in the area instead of a single target. If I buy AoE Radius on Transer, it costs 30 points per d6, and it means I drain everyone in the area instead of a single target. Why am I paying an extra 5 points per d6 to make Transfer AoE when the benefit is identical tro Drain? Add the FAQ answer that I don't even get to Drain everyone - I have to divide it equally - and I doubled the cost of the power for no real benefit.[/quote']

 

One of the reasons why I ignored the FAQ for the most part. Some things just didn't make sense, or were anywhere close to fair when you compare similar powers together.

[Greywind]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

The Law of Diminishing Returns doesn't make sense?

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

If AoE Transfer divides the points affecting each target by the number of targets, why doesn't an AoE Mind Control divide its points between all targets in the area? Why is Transfer alone singled out for this odd treatment? Buy Drain with linked Aid - which is the 6e solution.

[Greywind]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

That's a "you better ask Steve" question, that would be followed with "I'm sorry. I don't answer questions about game design."

[Folded]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

Game Balance answer:

 

Abuse potential. Transfer 1pip STR to STR, AoE, 128hex radius (19 Active/Real in 5e). Do this in an urban environment, and you could easily push your STR WAY over 100 in a heartbeat for a cost of 2 END. And that's just STR. Build three of them as END to END, STUN to STUN and BODY to BODY, and you're killing everyone around you, healing yourself completely every phase. Sure, the bad guys start picking up Power Defense, but the citizens on the street don't. There are a lot of people within 256 meters of a given location in a city.

 

Theoretical answer:

 

Transfer involves moving energy around. Since it is being carefully controlled, rather than simply grounded out/dispersed (as in Drain) or Suppressed, the total amount of energy the character is manipulating becomes critical. 1d6 of Transfer lets you move around 1d6 worth of energy, whether it comes from one target or many.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

...all of which is probably why we don't have Transfer in 6e.

 

Even if 5e you could just use a linked Aid+Drain, if you wanted, or a simple Aid with a limitation 'requires at least one person per point gained to be nearby when power used'.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Transfer Questions

 

Game Balance answer:

 

Abuse potential. Transfer 1pip STR to STR, AoE, 128hex radius (19 Active/Real in 5e). Do this in an urban environment, and you could easily push your STR WAY over 100 in a heartbeat for a cost of 2 END. And that's just STR. Build three of them as END to END, STUN to STUN and BODY to BODY, and you're killing everyone around you, healing yourself completely every phase. Sure, the bad guys start picking up Power Defense, but the citizens on the street don't. There are a lot of people within 256 meters of a given location in a city.

 

If I buy Drain with the same AoE, it takes 1 STR away from everyone in the radius. Why does AoE on Transfer have no effect whatsoever, at a greater cost?

 

By the way, with a 1 pip transfer, the limit on your enhanced STR is 1. Transfer was not unlimited in 5e, so your "abusive construct", above, drains 1 STR from everyone in the radius, and adds 1 STR to your character. Oh, you wanted to be able to boost your STR by more than 1? You need to buy the increased maximum adder. At which time the GM can assess your maximum STR (after transfer), conclude that it is too high for the game in question and veto the construct. While there is potential for abuse, that same potential exists in many other powers. GM Oversight is a key Hero concept.

 

The problem is that Transfer is a Drain linked with an Aid to Self Only. Breaking down the components (as 6e did) allows the Drain to be AoE and Drain 1 point from everyone in the area. Now, if you want the SR enhancement potential, you need to buy enough Self Only Aid (or extra STR with limitations) to achieve the desired boost.

 

The 6e solution makes it obvious that adding AoE to a full Transfer (rather than just the Drain component) is putting AoE on a Self Only power - and why would you do that?

 

Theoretical answer:

 

Transfer involves moving energy around. Since it is being carefully controlled, rather than simply grounded out/dispersed (as in Drain) or Suppressed, the total amount of energy the character is manipulating becomes critical. 1d6 of Transfer lets you move around 1d6 worth of energy, whether it comes from one target or many.

 

Then why am I paying a significant premium cost for the ability to divide that among many people? And you are now imposing specific SFX on Transfer, which is not the way the system should work.