How would you Build an EMP?

[darkarus99]

Hi fellow Hero users,

 

 

I have an energy blaster with electric based powers and after running into several guys in power armor am realizing that a way to take down their suits power would be very helpful in defeating them. My main question is would you recommend building the power as a drain or a dispel and what would you target so far all I have though of was a drain vs end with the goal of making it so the suit has no juice to run on. Or a massive dispel to make the suits pool no longer work (although that maybe too expensive...).

 

Any other thoughts are welcome.

 

 

Darkarus

[fr2itus]

Change Environement; only effects electronics or mechanical devices reduce movement and/or CV and/or Dex, Str, skills.

[L. Marcus]

I prefer Dispel, or possibly a AVAD/NND RKA.

[stardogchamp]

As Per Champions Powers, 6th ed (btw, is it ok to copy & paste from the rule books?)

 

Electromagnetic Pulse

 

Effect: Dispel Electricity Powers 8d6

Target: One character or device

Duration: Instant

Range: 240m

END Cost: 12

Description: The character projects a pulse of electromagnetic energy that disrupts the flow of electricity. This allows the character to shut off electrical devices by frying their circuitry, and to temporarily diminish or de-activate electricity based superpowers.

 

Game Information: Dispel Electricity Powers 8d6, Expanded Effect + Variable Effect (all Electricity Powers simultaneously; +4). Total cost: 120 points.

 

Options:

1) Powerful Pulse: Increase to Dispel Electricity Powers 12d6. Total cost: 180 points.

2) Weaker Pulse: Decrease to Dispel Electricity Powers 6d6. Total cost: 90 points.

3) Unfocused Pulse: Add Area Of Effect (32m Radius; +1) and No Range (-½). 144 Active Points; total cost 96 points.

4) Variant Electromagnetic Pulse: Change to Drain Electricity Powers 3d6. Total cost: 150 points.

5) Electromagnetic Touch: The character has to touch a device or character to disrupt its electrical powers. Add No Range (-½). Total cost: 80 points.

 

Although I also like the idea of a Drain with Delayed Return Rate.

​edit: The thing about Dispel, as i understand, is that characters can 're-start' those powers... so a Drain in this case would be the way to go, especially with enough Delayed Return Rate to take them out of the fight.

[GhostDancer]

A mild EMP, a Power Surge, could be Dispel with 1 Minute (or longer) Charges, long enough to take a Power Armor type and various others out of a fight, but their gear reboots later.

[Christopher]

Depends a bit how the Power Armor is build.

 

If it has a Complication like Succeptibility (Strong Magnetic Fields) or a Limitation like "Not in Strong Magnetic Fields" you could trigger it with a Change Environment.

 

A realistic EMP is closer to a HKA, NND, Does Body, then what you see in the Source Material. (It literally fries electronic)

 

Another approach is to make a powerfull STUN-only attack. But it only stuns the Technological Part of the Hero.

 

The very classic approach would propably be a Drain, Supress or Dispel.

Dispel does not affect the reactivation of the Power at all, it only disrupts running powers.

Drain and Supress.with Expanded Effect might be a idea.

With Adjustment Powers you also have to keep in mind that it will not affect all power armor powers. Iron Man without energy still has a lot of resistant Defenses.

[phoenix240]

Several good suggestions in this thread. It really illustrates the great (and often frustrating) thing about Hero System. There's usually at least two or three ways to anything.