I had an idea for a new set of Power Advantages that apply to Defenses earlier today. In the same way that you can apply NND or AVLD to a power, is there any reason why you couldn't apply something similar to defenses? Call it DVLO (Defense Versus Limited Offense) and NNO (No Normal Offense). The sliding scales are the same as for AVLD and NND, with the same (or maybe a little higher) costs associated.
It would work like this: if a character applies NNO to a power, for example, then it would block all STUN from incoming attacks except for the one effect that is defined as slipping past it. The character will still take Body as usual from the attack (or vice versa, with GM permission), minus the defense. So an attack that does 50 STUN and 12 BODY versus 10 points of Defense with this Advantage would do no STUN, but would do 2 BODY. An NND Attack that is not defined as the effect (or mechanic, is AVLO) would do no damage at all, because the Character takes no STUN. If an attack is made using the correct effect (or mechanic) the character does not get to apply this defense against it.
For example, let's say there is a Water Elemental that buys 15PD/15ED Armor with the Power Advantage, NNO (versus Ice Attacks, +1/2). He's fighting a trick arrow type, whose first attack is a 3d6 RKA. The archer fires and does 5+5+6=16 BODY, and rolls a 4 for the stun multiplier. The creature takes no STUN, but 1 BODY does penetrate the defenses.
Undaunted, the archer tries again, this time trying his NND electro-shock arrow, 8d6 EB versus ED. It does zero STUN, since it is the wrong effect, and does no BODY because it is NND.
The archer, frazzled but still in the game, draws his last arrow, a 4d6 RKA Freezing Arrow. He fires and hits doing 4+5+2+6=17 BODY and a STUN multiplier of 4 for 68 STUN. The defenses don't work at all against this effect, and the creature takes both the 17 BODY and the 68 STUN as though the Armor was nonexistent.
My question is this: do you think this house rule is worth pursuing? It just occurred to me and sounds like a really neat way to allow characters, especially elemental types, the chance to more clearly define the way in which their character interacts with the physical world.
I'm worried about:
a) game imbalance- I can see how this would be abused, but then, since everything is up for GM approval, this relies heavily on the good sense of the GM.
correct mechanic- I'm not totally sure about the way it works as I have it written. Part of me feels like it should apply to BODY, not STUN. That way, NND attacks would still knock the heck out of the character. On the other hand, i kind of like the idea that it represents that a character's structural integrity can be compromised without the character feeling it.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
-G Holkan
