Utech

Re: Killing Attack idea

Re: Killing Attack idea Certainly. And if you apply the Penetrating Advantage to a Ranged Killing Attack, you change the mechanics of how the Ranged Killing attack actually works. What I don't understand is why you would want to throw out a Power here. Killing Attacks already have their own special mechanics that (in my opinion) have worked pretty darn well for years. What is gained by removing Killing Attacks as a power?

Re: Killing Attack idea

Re: Killing Attack idea I'm afraid I continue to be mystified as to why anyone would want to make Killing Attacks an Advantage on Normal Attacks. Killing Attacks are one kind of power. Normal Attacks are another kind of power. They are different. Their mechanics are different. I don't see the attraction in folding them together. Could someone explain?

Re: What skill would you use to see if someone is lying? All good ideas so far. Here are a couple of other random thoughts... Psychology -- knowing how people's body language changes when they tell a lie; knowing the sort of details that mark a story as true and those that mark the story as a lie KS/PS: Police Officer -- lots of experience hearing stories and then finding out which ones are lies. Gambling (Poker) -- looking for the "tell." PS: Lie Detector Operator -- even without the equipment, this person might have gotten a good feel for stories with the "ring of truth." PS: Catholic Priest -- lots of years of hearing confessions..?

Re: Fixing Find Weakness Isn't this one of those cases where common and dramatic sense tell us that FW just doesn't work? Unless the sfx for FW were really interesting (mystic?) then I think the AoE problem is a non-issue. 5ER page 175 says several things that probably clear all this up: As always, the GM should take into account the circumstances, special effects, common sense, dramatic sense and considerations of game balance. There may be situations where a GM's willing to expand the effects of Find Weakness a little, or times when he considers int necessary to reduce them. If the target of Find Weakness changes his form or shape via Multiform, Shape Sift, or any ability the GM deems similar, he stops a found weakness from affecting him. The GM may impose any other restrictions on Find Weakness he believes rae necessary to maintain common sense or dramatic sense or to preserve game balance. For example, even if Find Weakness works with "All Attacks," he might not let a character apply find Weakness if he tries to crash a car into the target, or triggers a hidden bomb. FW is both a Special Power and a Sensory Power. I think it makes plenty of common and dramatic sense to say that most characters who have lost the use of all senses cannot use FW. Again, perhaps some weird sfx might get around this.

Re: Clearing Away Soil Why not just zap the good stuff up to the surface and leave the dirt where it is? Teleport, AE, UAA, Increased Mass, Ranged, Only vs Items of Archeological Value

Re: Fixing Find Weakness

Re: How to: Ego Roll Wall Try this: 20 Points: Change Environment 1" radius, -1 to EGO Roll (failure indicates lack of will to cross through environment -- target retreats and looks for another way to cross), Long Lasting (Permanent), Physical Manifestation (-1/4) 25 Active Points. 2 END. Your requirements: block doorways, sections of hall, and so onDone The special effect is that a person who wants to walk accross the barrier has to apply a great deal of willpower, since the wall robs you of your desire to crossDone I was hoping to represent that with an EGO rollDone possibly with modifiersSeason to taste with 3 points per -1 to EGO Roll Crossing the wall does not dissipate the wall, so everyone who crosses has to make their own rollDone Each time you cross the wall, you get a positive modifier next timeNot done. This would, however, be a perfectly reasonable thing for the GM to rule. Given the nature of EGO and EGO Rolls it makes sense for success to raise confidence and improve successive EGO Rolls Mundane Physical and Energy attacks are not affected by the wall, just sentient beings walking through, so you can shoot at things on the other side if you want.Done As such, you can only attack the wall with magic or mental attacks.Simulated with the Physical Manifestation Limitation. Some GMs might rule that the Physical Manifestation in this case (the note card) is so difficult to notice and attack that the Limitation drops to -0 The wall is maintained by a spell written on a notecard pinned to something inside the wall (the wall is 4-6 inches thick). If characters figure out that the card is responsible for the effect, they can dispel the wall by either making one EGO roll to reach in and pick up the card, or using regular attacks to destroy it.Again, simulated with the Physical Manifestation Limitation.

Re: cslage's Brilliant Idea! I think the Power Skill could take care of this if this was just a one-off situation. If it was something the character wanted to do often, I'd require an adder like Fine Manipulation. Now if the character didn't have the Power Skill and really needed to transport the liquid from here to there I might say "No" to making a pipeline, but "Yes" to creative use of the power. The character might, for example, first form a force wall to use as a dam. The dam would be shaped as a wedge so that there was a spout. After the force wall is in place, the character could form another force wall in the shape of a trough. And another and another as required. This could become quite a dramatic situation as the hero tries desperately to maintain three, four, five force walls all at once. END runs out. STUN is being burned... Will our hero stay on his feet long enough to transport that stuff??? (or long enough for his teammates to figure out a way to help)

Re: How to: Ego Roll Wall Could you work something with Change Environment? I've often seen Change Environment used to indicate a place is slippery (DEX roll required) and that sort of thing. Couldn't you do the same with a required EGO roll?

Re: Fixing Find Weakness I'm with the "don't see FW as broken" crowd. As soon as I see Find Weakness written on a character sheet I check powers, DCs, skill levels, etc to ensure that the character will not be unbalancing. Doesn't take too much time to figure it out. And if I miss something and it becomes a problem in game play I discuss the problem with the player and adjust the character accordingly. No no problem. There are plenty of powers and skills that you ought to be careful with. FW is just one of them.

Re: Request: Generic Marine Build Many thanks!

I've been starting and stopping and starting and stopping to build some generic marines. In particular I can't decided if I should be loading them up on skills or not. How much? Which ones? How much of which ones? Etc. Has anyone else built a generic marine? Any chance I can get a copy of your work? Will you promise not to tell the teacher?

Re: Choking The Life Out Of Someone It can easily take over a minute to render someone unconscious by cutting off their air supply. It is much faster if you block off the carotid. Actually killing them times out at about 4 minutes. A little Googling found this interesting article: "OPDV Bulletiin: Strangulation in Domestic Voilence and Sexual Assault" Clinically, a victim who is being strangled first experiences severe pain, followed by unconsciousness, and then brain death. The victim will lose consciousness by any one or more of the following: blocking of the carotid arteries (depriving the brain of oxygen), blocking of the jugular veins (preventing deoxygenated blood from exiting the brain), and/or closing off the airway, causing the victim to be unable to breathe. Only eleven pounds of pressure placed upon both carotid arteries for ten seconds is necessary to cause unconsciousness. If pressure is released immediately, consciousness will be regained within ten seconds. After 50 seconds of continuous oxygen deprivation the victim rarely recovers. To completely close off the trachea, three times as much pressure (33 lbs.) is required. For comparison purposes, it only takes 8 lbs. of pressure to pull a trigger on a gun.

Re: Costs END Only to Activate It is a very extreme example, but the answer is obvious: If I want to play a classic martial artist in your game I will do so playing by your rules. I would be OK paying the cost to do so.

Re: Costs END Only to Activate I think it is very sad that you feel this way. But to each his own. I do not ever think of character conception as an excuse. Character conception is why I play the game. If part of my character conception means that I end up with a power that is less effective than another character's similar power, it does not bother me in the least.

Re: Costs END Only to Activate

Re: Costs END Only to Activate I'm afraid you're wrong on this one. Costs END Only to Activate valued as a +1/2 Advantage is certainly worth taking in my campaign. If it fits the character conception in should be taken. It adds flavor and interest to the character. I have a player building a character right now. The character has a TK Force Field. He wrote (without a word from me) in the notes for the power that the force field does not work against certain forms of energy attack due to the nature of the power. This is not taken as a Limitation. The player thought that the self-imposed limit on his force field was not worth any points (he's right) but that it fits his character conception and so it ought to go in. While other campaigns may have players who find the worth of their Advantages and Limitations only in their point values, I'm happy to say that the players in my campaign see worth in a different light.

Re: Astral Form as Duplication Clairsentience works well in many instances. Just add a Limitations for your body being left behind, certain people being able to perceive your Astral form, your Astral form able to take damage. If you think you'll be doing a lot of combat in Astral form, you might want to go with some sort of Invisibility + Flight or Teleportation + Desolidification and then add a Limitation for leaving your body behind.

Re: Another SPD thread That's where the Dodge, Block and Strike maneuvers come in for me. Changes in DEX allowed me to both change SPD and lower OCV/DCV. It was a lot of fun. Players found it quite challenging at first but quickly warmed to the central premise. Then they started doing a lot of thinking about what weapon they wanted to walk into combat with -- and how they could help each other.

Re: Costs END Only to Activate

Re: Another SPD thread I was running a fantasy game at Hero Central. I've attached the combat rules I used for the game. These are hardly perfect, but they led to some very interesting combat situations. The most important change here is that fighting at different "hand-to-hand ranges" adds to or subtracts from DEX. This often changed SPD in combat. And was a lot of fun.

Re: Costs END Only to Activate If they are just as imbalanced, then how can one be a fairer way to go?

Re: Costs END Only to Activate