View Single Post
Old 02-14-2017, 04:52 PM   #2
Otaku
 
Otaku's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#32): Damage Resistance, Nictitating Membrane

Third Edition

I have not been worrying about this lately, but as I still haven’t gotten around to disposing of my remaining 3e books, and it shows why Damage Resistance is such a long, complicated entry, it seems worthwhile to address 3e even though I ran out of time to look up links because of it. I only have Basic Set: Third Edition, Revised, and Compendium I to reference.

Damage Resistance (p. CI 52) was 3 CP/level, and determining whether it was a force field, thick skin, etc. was treated as fluff that the GM and player merely had to work out. It was/is a bit confusing because it was actually based on the Toughness Advantage (p. B23); which was up to two points of DR available even to regular humans under the 3e rules and behaved like DR with the Tough Skin Limitation in 4e. It cost 10 CP for just one level or 25 CP for two! The Damage Resistance Entry includes a few 3e Modifiers as well. Ablative is here but provides a -15% discount, actually functioning like 4e Semi-Ablative DR. Hardened was also still available, but at 30% per level. Multiple levels were only for dealing with the 3e attack powers with Armor Piercing (the 3e version of the Armor Divisor Modifier); both were capped at two levels. When it came to armor divisors from weaponry, either level of Hardened canceled it out.

Absorption (p. CI 49) and Reflection (p. CI 64) were their own separate traits, instead of being an Enhancement for Damage Resistance. Instead of absorbing or reflecting one point of damage per level of DR, each level provided 1d worth of protection. I believe this meant dividing the dice before rolling, so too bad for you if the ones you were absorbing/reflecting rolled low while what went through rolled high. A character still couldn’t absorb or reflect damage from its own attacks. Once your Absorption was full, it provided 2 DR per level (instead of one). You still used Absorption to fuel other traits, but recovering lost HP or FP isn’t mentioned. Being restricted to generated CP only going to one power or Attribute was a -20% Limitation. Absorption costs 12 CP/level while Reflection would run you 8 CP/level.

Limited Defenses weren’t a unified rule or handled as a Limitation; there was a chart on p. CI 49 that listed the specific costs for each of Absorption, DR, and Reflection based on whether they applied versus everything, Common, Occasional, Rare, or Very Rare threats.

Nictitating Membrane (p. CI 62) was still its own trait in 3e. It cost 10 CP/level but provided different benefits. You still received eye DR of +1/level, but also +2 PD. “PD” is Passive Defense and added to your Active Defenses. It was 25 CP/level and was capped at PD 6 (even if you bought more than six levels of Nictitating Membrane). Finally, instead of the +1 HT bonus it was +3 per level.
__________________
My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :)
Otaku is offline   Reply With Quote