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Old 03-16-2009, 03:33 PM   #14
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora

How do I build a wide damaging field/aura? Not just skintight, but several hexes in size?
Quote:
Originally Posted by transmetahuman
Emanations have two different modes. Emanation + Area Effect is a conscious attack, taking an Attack maneuver to activate and going off in an immediate, one-off burst. You can affect people over and over as long as you spend a turn each time doing it, just like an ordinary Area Effect attack. Emanation is basically "zero range" for an AE attack, plus immunity to its harmful effects for yourself, but doesn't change anything else including the need for an Attack maneuver.

The variant in Powers (Emanation + Area Effect + Always On) makes it a permanent field that you don't have to consciously use - it affects people automatically when they enter it, but only once (or possibly more, if they enter then leave then enter again, but in any case they aren't affected again while remaining in the area effect).

Aura + Area Effect (plus Melee Attack at -30%, if the base attack is normally ranged), per a PM exchange with Kromm*, gives you a Switchable field that continues to affect everyone in the area, once per turn, without any attention or maneuver needed on your part. You get the immunity that Emanation gives as part of the Aura enhancement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
Powers states that an always-on damage field requires Aura (+80%), Always On (-40%), and Melee Attack (-30%). That's a range 0, "if I touch you or you touch me" type of thing. An actual radius would amount to adding Area Effect on top of it all. That might not be "canon," but it's logical and the simplest way to do it. So a 4-yard field would add Area Effect 2 (+100%) and the net modifier would be +110%. I don't see any conflicts: Aura covers the "free attack" effect, Always On addresses the "constant effect" angle, Melee Attack takes care of the "ground zero is at range zero" element, and Area Effect handles the "blankets an area" aspect. You can omit Always On -- for a net +150% -- if you want it to work like an ordinary Aura that you can switch on and off. The other aspects don't seem negotiable.
As of Pyramid #3/19, this is canon, with the following combination officially allowed:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auras of Power
Statistics: Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Aura, +80%; [ . . .]; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; [ . . .]
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Last edited by vicky_molokh; 01-21-2018 at 03:20 AM. Reason: Fixing confusion. I'm [i]sleepy[/i].
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