Changing Area of Effect size and Instant Powers

[Black Rose]

I posted the following in the Hero System 6th Edition Rules Questions subforum, but I wanted to see the answers I'd get here. Here we go...

Now, I want to be sure I get this right. On 6e1 319:
 

"The character must choose the type and size of Area Of Effect he wants when he purchases
the Power, and cannot change it thereafter (or alter it from use to use during the game)."

 
Okay, that makes sense. You can't decide you want a Cone now, and a Line later. Got it. And on 6e1 128:
 

"At the GM’s option, a character can buy a +5 Character Point Adder, Alterable Size, that
allows him to change the size of an Area-affecting Constant Power this way."

 
So, you can shift the size of a Constant AoE power; this makes sense to me, as Constant powers simulate a thing that you set off and they keep going. What I want to know is, how do you simulate an Instant AoE power (let's say Radius, but any of them really) that you can change the size of from shot to shot. Part of me says that, since it's Instant, just shift it as you use it Phase to Phase. Alternately, I could throw Alterable Size on it anyway. For some reason, I have some writeups that put a +1/4 advantage called Adjustable onto AoE (really not sure where I came up with that, if I even did.)

 

 
Any ideas, Herodom Assmbled?

[Surrealone]

I don't have a good answer/response for you.  I did, however, want to respond and say 'dang, that's an interesting question!'

[Hyper-Man]

I see a few options.

1. AOE Hexes is probably the most simple and brute force method but also least satisfying.
2. Various Multipower slots would work.
3. IF the main power is a slot in a VPP with 0 Phase and no Roll to Change (the old 'Cosmic' combo) then you functionally get a FREE version of the Variable Advantage* that would certainly handle this.

*See my versions of Superman and Flash in the HeroDesigner Downloads section for specific examples of what I mean. Green Lantern's Power Ring constructs are practically the poster child for this as well.

[Surrealone]

Hyper-Man:

I realize all of those are ways to achieve the same thing, but I don't think any of them answers the actual question.  i.e. You answered the question much as if you were a politician on debate night -- meaning you kinda dodged it.

I'm now very interested in the response to the question that was posed ...just because the question's kinda quirky and cool.

[Hyper-Man]

Well, I'm just positing legal ways to accomplish the stated goal.  I also look forward to Steve Long's answer to whether or not the 5 point Adder could be applied to an Instant AOE Power as described.  I just checked HeroDesigner and it doesn't care if the Power is Instant or Constant but that doesn't mean much rules wise.

 

I think the idea of a custom +1/4 Advantage has merit and has parallels with the Allocatable Advantage for Resistant Protection.

 

From 6e1 page 276
 

Allocatable (+1/4) Resistant Protection can have its points of defense re-allocated in any way, without changing its maximum or adding new categories of defense.

 

[Hyper-Man]

Here are some examples to compare:

 

60    AOE Blast v1: Blast 5d6, Alterable Size, Area Of Effect (16 2m Areas; +1) (60 Active Points) - END=6
60    AOE Blast v2: Blast 6d6, Adjustable (Custom Modifier - AOE Radius can be swapped with any other AOE Advantage totalling (+3/4); +1/4), Area Of Effect (16m Radius; +3/4) (60 Active Points) - END=6

 

105    VPP example: Variable Power Pool, 60 base + 60 control cost, No Skill Roll Required (+1), Powers Can Be Changed As A Zero-Phase Action (+1) (150 Active Points); Limited Power Only for Attack Powers of Special Effect (X) (-1)
0    1) AOE Blast v3: Blast 6d6, Area Of Effect (16m Radius; VPP as Variable Advantage: Radius can be swapped with any combination of Advantages adding up to (+1); +3/4), Selective (+1/4) (60 Active Points) Real Cost: 60 - END=6

[massey]

You might try doubling the area for +1/4, and then putting a limitation "only to make line, cone, radius". So effectively you'd increase the size of the AE until it hit a point large enough to cover all 3 versions, then you limit out the extra hexes.

[Surrealone]

Steve's take on it is here:
http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/92531-changing-area-of-effect-size-and-instant-powers/

[Hyper-Man]

I think that's the closest I've ever came to predicting Steve's answer.

[Surrealone]

Yup, darn close, and mathematically, same end cost.  I almost remarked on it when I posted the cross-link.

 

Nicely played, sir.

[Black Rose]

Steve answered my question -- yay!!! -- so this is pretty much handled. I like the Alterable (+1/4) idea, considering that I'm using it for a lot of low-end spells (starting below 30 AP), and +5 CP really crunched some of them badly.

[Tech]

I ran across this problem years ago. What was decided was that a successful Ego Roll would allow the user to change the size of the AE attack (but not the shape: a cone AE is still a cone AE).

[massey]

The extra +1 for changing type seems too harsh to me. It would be significantly cheaper to just buy a multipower with 3 slots, or to buy Area Effect: Any Area and increase the number of hexes you get.