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Old 10-30-2009, 11:08 PM   #20
Nymdok
 
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Houston
Default Re: [GM] Individual Melee Combat Balance

Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Nightwatch View Post
Well, what makes it really interesting for our GMs is that two of the characters have different forms of Insubstantiality, three have various forms of foreseeing, one fires explosive energy, another has 30d of Reflection...

Anymore I just throw something interesting at them and see how they handle it. They usually do just fine. For everything else, there's Extra Life. ;)
Well, I dont know your campaign of course, but ...

The Insubstantials don't really pose much of a problem in Melee combat unless the owners have pulled out the points to buy the enhancement that allow them to Affect Substantial or Carry Objects and Partially Change.

For those challenges, ghost weapons, psi and others allow them to enjoy the risk.

Explosive energy, like most damage is moderated by DR and Active Defenses.

Reflective DR is of course vulnerable to Indirect attacks (Splash damage) and afflictions that would incapacitate.

The trick is to make the combat challenging without making the PCs feel that they've wasted thier points on Advantages that have been rendered inneffective.

A common way to do this is allow the ability to work full force both for and against them.

For example:

Blinding the insubstantials still allows them the total freedom of movement that they paid for, as well as the immunity to melee combat, but it puts them in a very challenging position ans they wont be able to 'feel' thier way around.

Explosive Energy is risky in close quarters.

Reflective DR is one that Ive always thought would be great if the reflected energy carried momentum with it, like a photon. In other words, YES you can reflect the energy/Damage etc, but doing so catapults you backwards and if you then impact upon a wall, that of course will bounce you as well.

Again it boils down to the Fact that the DR does save the charachter, but just because he lives doesnt mean he isnt challenged :)

Just some Ideas
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