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Old 08-02-2011, 02:44 AM   #36
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
Can we FAQ something about how Armour Divisors stack, how Hardened works against that stacking, how Cosmic fits on the scales, and whether AD higher than (10) is available?
Just in case, ADs from different sources are always multiplied. however, buying an armor divisor higher than 10 for Innate Attacks is houserule territory. I suppose an extra (in addition for the (10) cost) +50% on top for (100) will do.

Other useful notes on Hardened:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
From p. B47:
Hardened: Each level of Hardened reduces the armor divisor of an attack by one step. These steps are, in order: "ignores DR," 100, 10, 5, 3, 2, and 1 (no divisor). +20% per level.
To paraphrase Armor Divisor, p. B102:
Armor Divisor . . . Modifier
(2) . . . +50%
(3) . . . +100%
(5) . . . +150%
(10) . . . +200%
Note how the modifiers are priced at +50% per canonical step. The next steps would logically be (100) for +250% and "ignores DR" for +300%.

Finally, to precis Cosmic, p. B103:
Irresistible attack. Your attack does negate the target's protection; e.g., an Innate Attack that ignores DR. +300%.
That's simply an explicit statement of the missing final step of Armor Divisor.

When Powers says, "DR with Cosmic subtracts from 'irresistible' attacks with Cosmic," it means exactly what it says. DR 100 with the +50% version of Cosmic counts as DR 100 vs. an attack with the +300% version of Cosmic. Against an attack with a (10) divisor, that Cosmic DR acts as DR 10, because the defensive +50% version of Cosmic isn't Hardened, and does nothing againt other armor divisors. Somebody with DR 100 (Hardened 1, +20%) gets DR 1 vs. an attack with the +300% version of Cosmic, because he shifts "ignores DR" to (100), while he gets DR 20 vs. an attack with a (10) divisor, because he shifts (10) to (5).

If you want an attack that not only ignores DR but also ignores Hardened, then add another +50% to your +300%.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
Malediction and Sense-Based aren't meant to interact with Hardened at all. It's very specifically Cosmic that's affected, because Cosmic is really a high level of Armor Divisor. Malediction and Sense-Based aren't high levels of Armor Divisor -- they're something else. And yeah, when we get a FAQ Keeper, we can note this.
Q: How does Armor Divisor interact with Ablative DR?
A:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
You have DR 96, HP 80. Repeated huge piercing attacks (pi++) lower DR as if ablative (footnote, p. B559), to a minimum DR 3. Against a homogenous target like concrete, huge piercing has a wounding modifier of ×1/2 once it penetrates DR (p. B380).

With 2d+2 pi++, you'll average 9 points of damage per second. You'll need 10 seconds to ablate DR 90, leaving DR 6. On the 11th second, you'll put 3 points past DR 6, which will inflict 1 HP, and also ablate down to DR 3. Then you'll be putting 6 points per second past the minimum DR 3, inflicting 3 HP per second, for the next 26-27 seconds. Total time: 37-38 seconds.

With 2d+2(2) pi++, you'll average 9 points of damage per second. But now DR is halved! You'll need five seconds to ablate DR 45, leaving DR 3. Then you'll be putting 8 points per second past half the minimum DR 3, inflicting 4 HP per second, for the next 20 seconds. Total time: 25 seconds.

The main advantage is that if you're boring dozens of these a day on a worksite – say, to pass cable – you're taking 2/3 as long to do it. That's a huge savings in labor. When you're trying to be sneaky . . . well, a rotary hammer isn't the tool for the job! But 2/3 as long to be noticed should be good for reducing whatever bonus the GM gives your opponents for a sustained racket.
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Last edited by vicky_molokh; 02-17-2017 at 11:59 AM.
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