Alcibiades Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 Hello HERO peeps. I am stymied and perplexed! What I want to build is something like Unstable power (what kind doesn't matter), Requires a Roll List of other powers (what kind doesn't matter) that activate only if Requires a Roll on the unstable power fails The gist is that the secondary powers only activate if the unstable power fails. The intuitively obvious options are Accidental Change (but it isn't really that), or to put Trigger on the list of other powers (the trigger being failing the roll), or to have the other powers as a gigantic Side Effect on the unstable power. But, Trigger costs points, and this is actually a limitation on the powers, since I can't activate them whenever I want. Side Effect doesn't seem right, since these powers have a major good side. Any ideas? Am I missing something obvious? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndianaJoe3 Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 Side Effect still seems appropriate, but at a reduced value (maybe even -0) if the effect isn't harmful to the character. Cassandra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsatow Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 You could put the powers into a multipower, then place the limitations requires a roll and side effects on the multipower itself. Failure of the roll will trigger the side effect which would be activation of the other slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcibiades Posted March 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 I act 12 minutes ago, dsatow said: You could put the powers into a multipower, then place the limitations requires a roll and side effects on the multipower itself. Failure of the roll will trigger the side effect which would be activation of the other slot. Huh. that's an interesting idea. And put No Conscious Control on these powers, so that I can't deliberately activate it. So put the Limitations on the Multipower, and not the powers inside it? I'm foggy on how this would work, mechanically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 I would just go with No Conscious Control and a list of powers and not worry about an activation roll Just activate a power you like as the GM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcibiades Posted March 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 40 minutes ago, Beast said: I would just go with No Conscious Control and a list of powers and not worry about an activation roll Just activate a power you like as the GM Well, there's another issue here that I didn't mention. The idea is that the character fears these powers (they come with a nasty personality change Side Effect), but if he uses his other powers in an uncontrolled fashion the powers might trigger. So this Unstabje Power, Variable Limitations (requires -3 of Increased END Cost, Concentration, Requires a Roll, Extra Time) The result is that if the character wants to use the power without Increased END Cost, Concentration, and so on, there's a chance he'll lose control (set his VL to Requires a Roll) and activate the scary power instead. (I realize that the simplest way to do this is possibly Multiform really, but again this costs points for what is a limitation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcibiades Posted March 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 Aha! "If a character has a Trigger for a personal power for which he cannot control the activation, he may, at the GM’s option, reduce the value of Trigger by ¼. An example would be an Aid STR, Triggered when the character becomes Enraged (or Berserk). Since the character cannot become Enraged at will, he gets less use out of his Triggered power, so the GM might reduce the Advantage’s value. (The GM may also allow the power to take the No Conscious Control Limitation, if appropriate.)" Got it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsatow Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 21 hours ago, Alcibiades said: Huh. that's an interesting idea. And put No Conscious Control on these powers, so that I can't deliberately activate it. So put the Limitations on the Multipower, and not the powers inside it? I'm foggy on how this would work, mechanically. See 6e1p405 second column. The third paragraph in Power Limitations on Multipowers is what you're after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 I still think you are right, The triggered powers should not cost more than buying it normally, they are not triggering on other issues that get you extra actions, they are triggering instead of a power you wanted to use and bring unwanted effects alongside. i think the no conscious control is the way to go, you have a set of powers in a multi-power, each of those powers has a side effect (that’s where the scary bits reside). If he pushes the unstable power and fails to activate it, then the GM chooses, possibly randomly, which of the powers (with side effect) activates instead. I would be content for the side effects to linger until another side effect is triggered or until a set period. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted March 4, 2018 Report Share Posted March 4, 2018 Why not apply Requires a Roll to the unstable power, with the limitation being based on the likelihood of the first power failing. eg: Power I want to Use, 12- activation roll, is 74.07% likely to work. Now Link it to Unstable Power, Limited Power: Works only if the first power fails, matching Activation 8- [because 8- is 25.93% likely] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 On 3/1/2018 at 4:40 PM, Alcibiades said: Hello HERO peeps. I am stymied and perplexed! What I want to build is something like Unstable power (what kind doesn't matter), Requires a Roll List of other powers (what kind doesn't matter) that activate only if Requires a Roll on the unstable power fails The gist is that the secondary powers only activate if the unstable power fails. The intuitively obvious options are Accidental Change (but it isn't really that), or to put Trigger on the list of other powers (the trigger being failing the roll), or to have the other powers as a gigantic Side Effect on the unstable power. But, Trigger costs points, and this is actually a limitation on the powers, since I can't activate them whenever I want. Side Effect doesn't seem right, since these powers have a major good side. Any ideas? Am I missing something obvious? Sounds like Cyclops when he loses his visor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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