Protecting an Accessible Focus from EMP

[BoloOfEarth]

I'm trying to figure out how to protect an electronic OAF (or IAF) from EMP (which in my Champions campaign is bought as Penetrating Killing Attacks, Only against Electronics).  In the past, characters with powered armor have bought Resistant Protection rED, Impenetrable (+1/4), Only vs. EMP Effects (-2) to represent specific EMP shielding, if they don't already have fully Impenetrable defenses.  However, as I understand the rules, defenses on an OIF wouldn't protect Accessible foci.  I suppose I could buy Impenetrable on the power(s) on the focus, even if they aren't defensive powers, but that doesn't seem quite right.  Or I could have characters buy the EMP shielding on an OAF, with the understanding that it only protects that specific OAF.

 

Any thoughts?

[IndianaJoe3]

The, "Protects Carried Items" adder should let the defenses apply to an OAF.

[BoloOfEarth]

(facepalm)  I totally missed that.  Thank you.

[Greywind]

Turn it off?

[Cassandra]

You'd have to cut off any electronics from a power source to protect it from an EMP.

 

or Power Defense

[Cassandra]

There are a number of ways EMP can work in a campaign.

 

First a power is not effect by EMP even if it's a set of Powered Armor.  The owner must take a -1/4 Does Not Work During EMP Exposure.  Otherwise an attacker should buy an Entangle -1/2 only against Powered Armor.

[Amorkca]

I find it interesting that an EMP wouldn't affect the Power Armor guy simply because he didn't take a limitation for it.

[Doc Democracy]

To be accurate, an EMP pulse, in game, would have no effect on power armour unless

1) the armour has the limitation, disabled by EMP, or

2) the EMP pulse is bought specifically to affect this kind of focus.

 

The defence is gonna be dependent on how the EMP is bought.

[dsatow]

If you are carrying the device (and it makes game sense*), IndianaJoe3 solution is best.  But other solutions abound:

1. You can just define it as a non-solid state electronic device or a shielded device.  EMPs only really affect solid state devices.  http://www.askaprepper.com/7-things-that-will-survive-an-emp/ 
2. If all EMPs are penetrating KA, then, RaW IIRC, as long as it has an impenetrable defense, the penetrating does not apply.  In 6e, I don't see the clarification, but in 5ERp115, any hardened defense stops penetrating.  If we assume the advantage impenetrable acts like hardened in 5th but only for penetrating attacks, then buying resistant impenetrable defense would protect the device from the penetrating portion.  Per 6e1p378, a breakable focus can have a defense bought for it with a -2 Lim.  
3. You could entangle the device with an impenetrable entangle. This would allow a character to seal the device in EMP wrap.  
4. You could wrap an all Body dismissable Barrier around it.  Personally, I think this is a broken new rule of 6th, but you can buy an all Body barrier which is incredibly cheap at 1 pt per Body.  Since the EMP is not indirect, it'd have to burn through all the Body of the barrier to get to the device.  Dismissable is optional as if its all Body, anyone can rip it open to get to the device, it just might take a while.
5. You could buy damage negation for the device in 6th.  Penetrating and AP have no effect on damage negation.

Side note:  Brain just thought up a silly steampunk tech villain team firing off massive EMP attacks against the city to rob it silly.  "Steam will conquer the world!"

*I could see up to a small computer protected by a powered armor suit, but say helping a sophisticated android by carrying it, not so much.

[BoloOfEarth]

To clarify, my Champions campaign is run in 6th edition.  As I said in my OP, in my campaign world an EMP is bought as a Killing Attack, Penetrating, Only against electronics.  As dsatow clarifies, that should be Only against solid state electronics.  And thus far, any EMPs in my game have been bought as Area of Effect, so I believe this would attack every solid state electronic Focus in the AoE.

 

So unless I'm reading the rules wrong, that means a successful EMP attack against, say, a powered armor character would cause the largest Power (typically, an attack Multipower) to die. 

 

Against, for example, a VIPER agent with numerous separate devices (and each with generally only one Power), each unprotected Focus would lose its largest Power, so his Blaster Carbine, his Force Field Belt, and his Helmet Radio all go bye-bye, unless any of them are shielded.  If his Force Field had Impenetrable rED, then the belt and helmet would be okay, but the carbine would still die.

 

So as I understand it, to protect that Blaster Carbine, the VIPER goon would need to either:

• Add the Protects Carried Items adder to his Impenetrable Force Field.  And if the Force Field isn't already Impenetrable, he needs to add that toot-sweet.
• He purchased Resistant Protection 6 rED, Impenetrable (+1/4); OAF (-1), Only vs. EMP damage (-2), Only Protects Blaster Carbine (-2).  11 Active points, 2 Real points.  And if he's carrying an OAF Laser Pistol and an OAF Electric Stun Baton, he would need similar protection on each of those Foci.

I like that.  It gives me two options to work with, depending on the nature of the character's powers. 

 

Thanks, all.

[steriaca]

Have you thought of an independent Impenatrable to a defense power with a Limited Power (Only Against EMP Attacks)? While this won't work with Focus, it should protect robots and androids.

[Cassandra]

On 1/27/2018 at 4:51 PM, Amorkca said:

I find it interesting that an EMP wouldn't affect the Power Armor guy simply because he didn't take a limitation for it.

 

The Powered Armor could be built with inherent EMP defenses, including new technology such as bio-electric jell packs that would be immune to conventional EMP.  (Thank you Star Trek: Voyager)

 

Of course an EB which has a special effect of being an EMP blast would effect the target through shock, such as a fire based character with LS: Intense Heat would be affected by a Fire EB.