Area effect Transfer

[GCMorris]

Just a weird question.... Is there a cheaper way to build an area effect Transfer than buying Area Effect Transfer?

 

I've got a villain who has an area effect Death Aura which I want to translate into him stealing the characteristics of others. He's a skilled normal aside from this power and he has a bit of tech he uses for defense. I just want to be able to use this without costing a septillion points...

[Lucius]

 

Powerful abilities cost lots of points.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindomedary asks what edition you're using

[GCMorris]

4e. Always 4e. I'm too poor (tightwad) to afford newer versions.

[Hugh Neilson]

Try building it a la 6e - Drain and Linked Aid instead of Transfer.

 

The 4e ruling that advantages had to be purchased for both aspects of the Transfer was, in my view, wrong - the advantage applied to the full 15 points of the Transfer, which paid for both the Aid and the Drain components. The Transfer no longer Draining when the Aid cap was hit was equally wrong, to me.

 

The Drain component needs AoE, but the Aid does not. Every target in range should be Drained, even if the Aid is capped out. IIRC, 4e Aid cost no END by default, so you will shave a bit from the END cost, or only need 0 END on the Drain component.

 

Issues like that make the 6e elimination of "Transfer as a power" in favour of "Transfer as a build" more than worth the added build complexity, in my view.

 

It still won't be cheap, but it will be priced more appropriately, in my view.

 

[Other than the 4e flaws in Aid, I suppose, most notably their unlimited healing aspect.]

[NuSoardGraphite]

Just a weird question.... Is there a cheaper way to build an area effect Transfer than buying Area Effect Transfer?

 

I've got a villain who has an area effect Death Aura which I want to translate into him stealing the characteristics of others. He's a skilled normal aside from this power and he has a bit of tech he uses for defense. I just want to be able to use this without costing a septillion points...

Yes, there is. Its just much slower. You use less dice, but add AoE and Continuous on the Transfer. Then increase the maximum by +2 for each additional character point spent. It should look something like this

 

1d6 Transfer (15)

+20 maximum effect (10)

Continuous (+1)

Area of Effect radius (+1)

75 active.

 

Full phase activstion (-1/2) only vs biological organisms (-1/2)

Total points 38.

 

With this you would roll 1d6 of Transfer per phase. If you want it to drain and transfer multiple characteristics, then it will cost significantly more. Continuous allows the character to activste the power the continue draining without using a phase. The area of effect it 5". The maximum is 26 character points transfered, which is pretty significant. 26 points of Strength. 13 points of Body or Con. 8 points of Dex. 13 points of Ego, etc.

 

The limitations are it takes a full phase to activate, so essentially the character has to stand still. You could also add Concentrate to that if you want to further reduce the cost. And the limited effect of Only works on biological beings meaning the drain cant be used on robots or vehicles or buildings or anything of that nature.

 

At 75 active the cost isnt too bad. It is a powerful effect. If used to drain Con or Body or Stun or Endurance, it can be an ability that turns the tide of battle.