Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [Powers] IT: Diffuse w/ Infiltration. Price of Infiltration Only?

Anaraxes · 10-24-2017, 07:49 AM

(1) Subtract the cost of IT (Diffuse) from the ability. That's -100 points. Since Infiltration is really an Enhancement to Diffuse, that bit would be the +40%, or 40 points as an "Infiltrate Only" ability.

(2) For a more RAW approach, use Temporary Disadvantage (No IT(Diffuse)). This is a Limitation worth -100%. (And keep in mind that the point break for this Temp Disad is capped at -80 points, along with the total Limitation being capped at -80%. Those are two separate limits that aren't the same thing, but easy to confuse since they both involve an 80% figure.) So if those are the only modifiers for the ability, we'd have IT (Diffuse), Infiltration (+40%), Temporary Disad (no IT, -100%) for a net -60% and a net cost of 40 CP. (Same as the earlier number; how nice. But this method works better once you start throwing in other modifiers.)

You also might want to just limit the combat utility of Diffuse by putting a high FP cost on it, and perhaps a severe Maximum Duration or Limited Use. If a character can only "go Diffuse" for the one second it takes to seep under a door, then that character won't get a lot of benefit in combat from the ability. You might prefer this sort of build for narrative consistency. ("Why does it only hurt in combat but not out of combat?" "Why doesn't this gas cloud get hurt by the same things that hurt me?")

10-24-2017, 07:49 AM	#2
Anaraxes Join Date: Sep 2007	Re: [Powers] IT: Diffuse w/ Infiltration. Price of Infiltration Only? (1) Subtract the cost of IT (Diffuse) from the ability. That's -100 points. Since Infiltration is really an Enhancement to Diffuse, that bit would be the +40%, or 40 points as an "Infiltrate Only" ability. (2) For a more RAW approach, use Temporary Disadvantage (No IT(Diffuse)). This is a Limitation worth -100%. (And keep in mind that the point break for this Temp Disad is capped at -80 points, along with the total Limitation being capped at -80%. Those are two separate limits that aren't the same thing, but easy to confuse since they both involve an 80% figure.) So if those are the only modifiers for the ability, we'd have IT (Diffuse), Infiltration (+40%), Temporary Disad (no IT, -100%) for a net -60% and a net cost of 40 CP. (Same as the earlier number; how nice. But this method works better once you start throwing in other modifiers.) You also might want to just limit the combat utility of Diffuse by putting a high FP cost on it, and perhaps a severe Maximum Duration or Limited Use. If a character can only "go Diffuse" for the one second it takes to seep under a door, then that character won't get a lot of benefit in combat from the ability. You might prefer this sort of build for narrative consistency. ("Why does it only hurt in combat but not out of combat?" "Why doesn't this gas cloud get hurt by the same things that hurt me?")