Please school me on 6e Deflection & Reflection...

[Surrealone]

Goal: Create a mind-based Deflection (and possibly Reflection) capability for a mentalist -- which works on both physical and mental Ranged Attacks.

 

Context: The mentalist with this ability has Mental Awareness bought with both Discriminatory and Analyze, so he knows what Mental Attacks are being tossed around, by whom, at whom, AND how strong they are relative to his own strength/capabilities.

 

Special Effects: The mentalist with the Deflection (and possibly Reflection) capability exerts his own mind to alter the aim (and in the case of Reflection, the target) of the attack or attacks to be Deflected/Reflected.

 

So, a long time ago the following thread would have been relevant: http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/57639-mental-deflection/ and I'd have had enough direction to work with and been done.  I happen to own the old 4e version of The Ultimate Mentalist, and I looked up the approach provided by the aforementioned thread.  That approach was both easy and sound ... except that you had to have two different powers (one for physical attacks and one for mental attacks).  But still, you could abort to turning both on, and, as long a the GM let both be used interchangeably with a cumulative negative for successive deflections, it was very doable (especially since reflection was part of the same power).

 

That said, I'm baffled as to how to build the same 5e effect ... in 6e.  For starters, you can only Deflect things you can Block in 6e ... and you can't Block Mental Attacks per anything I see in 6e RAW.  Next there's the problem of Reflection not working against Deflected things.

 

 

Here's what I came up with:

Oh No You Don't! [30 Active Points]

3f     Deflection, Alternate Combat Value (uses OMCV against OCV; +0), Line Of Sight (+1/2)

Back At Your Buddy... [80 Active Points]

8f     Reflection (69 Active Points' worth), Alternate Combat Value (uses OMCV against DCV; +0), Indirect (Source Point always from Original Attacker to Target; +1/4), Any Target (+1/2)

 

 

I feel like these builds are missing something, but I'm just not well-enough versed in either of them in 6e to be sure.  Here's why I think things are lacking:

• The Block involved for the Reflection is still based on OCV instead of OMCV (and I'd expect it to be based on the latter).  Specifically, the Alternative Combat Value of the Reflection only applies when targeting the reflected attack at a target ... not when performing the actual Block in advance of the attack roll for the Reflection, yes?  By comparison, Deflection can be bought with Alternate Combat Value that applies to the actual Block being made ... since, unlike Reflection, there's no other roll involved...
• I feel like the Reflection should have the Line of Sight Advantage, but in Hero Designer it wasn't available for Reflection like it was for Deflection.
• I feel like both should have some level of Invisible Power Effects since it's a mentalist's mind making this happen (as opposed to Deflecting/Reflecting with Captain America's shield), however, it wasn't available in Hero Designer for either power ... suggesting the powers, themselves, do not require it.

 

How would you build both Deflection and Reflection capabilities for a Mentalist .. capable of Deflecting or Reflecting both physical and mental Ranged Attacks per the previously-provided Special Effects?  There's an 80pt MP to work within.  I have no problem discussing the concept with the GM ... but am trying to pre-build so that I walk into a discussion with a decent build in hand so we have a good starting point for a discussion.

[bigdamnhero]

For starters, you can only Deflect things you can Block in 6e ... and you can't Block Mental Attacks per anything I see in 6e RAW.

True. My interpretation of that rule has always been that you can't use Physical/Energy attacks to Block Mental Attacks, or vice-versa, but that you might be able to Block mental powers with another appropriate mental power. (I think there's optional rules for that in Ultimate Mentalist, but I don't have that book handy.) You're definitely in GM's Permission territory, but I don't think it's unreasonable.

 

Next there's the problem of Reflection not working against Deflected things.

Right. I understand the rationale behind that prohibition - the ability to reflect any attack anywhere on the battlefield is pretty damn powerful and can be unbalancing. So per RAW, assuming your GM lets you Block mental attacks, you'd only be able to Reflect attacks that target you. A really forgiving GM might handwave that or let you throw Ranged on the Reflection, but I admit I'd have to think long and hard about approving that, especially given the LOS nature of mental attacks.

 

The Block involved for the Reflection is still based on OCV instead of OMCV (and I'd expect it to be based on the latter).

RAW states you can't Block Mental Attacks, so it assumed the Block Roll is going to be based on OCV. If your GM lets you Block Mental Attacks with another Mental Power, then it makes sense that Roll should be OMCV-based.

 

I feel like the Reflection should have the Line of Sight Advantage, but in Hero Designer it wasn't available for Reflection like it was for Deflection.

You can only buy LOS for Attacks that are already Ranged, and RAW says you can't buy Ranged for Reflection.

 

I feel like both should have some level of Invisible Power Effects since it's a mentalist's mind making this happen (as opposed to Deflecting/Reflecting with Captain America's shield), however, it wasn't available in Hero Designer for either power ... suggesting the powers, themselves, do not require it.

Hmm...Yeah, HD is saying Deflection & Reflection are both already Invisible. I'm not sure that's correct. Deflection is a Defensive Power, so it should be Inobvious by default, but not Invisible. And Reflection is an Attack Power so it should be Obvious by default. Maybe I'm missing something?