[G4e] Does "Powers" or Another Book Give Rules for "No Resistance"?

[Stripe]

Say you have a classic, old-school Medusa (or a Basilisk, or whatever) with an attack that kills you or turns you to stone instantly. Does Powers, which I do not have but will get ASAP, have a modifier -- probably a form of Cosmic (p. 103) -- that negates the victim's resistance roll?

Questions about Medusa's glare have been asked at least a dozen times on this forum and I can use search. I've already read a number of templates for Medusa since I've been around here since 2003 or 2004 and Usenet for years before that. However, I was just wondering if Powers or some other book finally fixed this.

Thanks!

[Diomedes]

Originally Posted by Stripe

Say you have a classic, old-school Medusa (or a Basilisk, or whatever) with an attack that kills you or turns you to stone instantly. Does Powers, which I do not have but will get ASAP, have a modifier -- probably a form of Cosmic (p. 103) -- that negates the victim's resistance roll?

Questions about Medusa's glare have been asked at least a dozen times on this forum and I can use search. I've already read a number of templates for Medusa since I've been around here since 2003 or 2004 and Usenet for years before that. However, I was just wondering if Powers or some other book finally fixed this.

Thanks!

Nope. Per Powers, page 101, "No version of Cosmic bypasses the resistance roll against Affliction, Mind Control, Maledictions, and similar abilities." The canonical way to do it is to just buy up enough levels of the affliction that your victim will automatically fail.

[Stripe]

Originally Posted by Diomedes

Nope. Per Powers, page 101, "No version of Cosmic bypasses the resistance roll against Affliction, Mind Control, Maledictions, and similar abilities." The canonical way to do it is to just buy up enough levels of the affliction that your victim will automatically fail.

But, they will always succeed on a critical success!

Gah... :(

Thanks, man.

[Anaraxes]

Is an automatic "I WIN" button fun? Not even a 1 in 100 chance of avoiding your fate?

If it's a monster, just use GM fiat. Or throw the points at it to make the margin of success impossible to beat (pretty much the same thing, really).

[Stripe]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Is an automatic "I WIN" button fun?

It's neither. It's beside the point. Anyways, if you can't GM a fun scenario with a monster with an irresistible attack, you're doing something wrong. They are common place in role-playing games (Medusa, Basilisk, etc.).

Not even a 1 in 100 chance of avoiding your fate?

If you know going in that Medusa will turn you to stone if you meet her gaze, you're going to be cautious. You're going to get your reflective shield and put on a blindfold and work on your Blindfighting. You're going to develop a plan. You're going to work hard to be the one guy who can slay this fearsome monster with its dread attack.

If it's a monster, just use GM fiat.

Not if you're creating a canonical, rules-as-written template for everyone to use.

Or throw the points at it to make the margin of success impossible to beat (pretty much the same thing, really).

Apparently, that can't be done. You'll always succeed on a resistance roll on a 3 or 4.

[Captain-Captain]

Originally Posted by Stripe

But, they will always succeed on a critical success!

Gah... :(

Thanks, man.

Well there is always the Great Wish enchantment. "You fail to resist.' or use Lesser Wish to ensure the roll fails or Wish to retCon a success.

Now, making Wishes a power may be problematic...

[Agent]

Powers (I think) does functionally address the 'critical success' issue. In the example (and I'm going from memory) of a 'god' that needs an insta-kill, the suggestion is Affliction with the heart attack (basically, death) enhancement, at 20 levels or so.

It said if the penalty reduces the chance of success to below 3, there is no roll.

I think.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Stripe

It's neither. It's beside the point. Anyways, if you can't GM a fun scenario with a monster with an irresistible attack, you're doing something wrong. They are common place in role-playing games (Medusa, Basilisk, etc.).

Actually, they're common in D&D, where you still get your saving throws. I can't think of any, non-fiat, you DIE effects in any of the games I've ever played.

Originally Posted by Stripe

If you know going in that Medusa will turn you to stone if you meet her gaze, you're going to be cautious. You're going to get your reflective shield and put on a blindfold and work on your Blindfighting. You're going to develop a plan. You're going to work hard to be the one guy who can slay this fearsome monster with its dread attack.

Sounds perfectly reasonable. It’s a GM fiat moment. And even if they’ll still succeed on a 3 or a 4 by making the ability out of the rules, that’s a pitiful chance. It’s not enough to even remotely stake your life on.

Originally Posted by Stripe

Not if you're creating a canonical, rules-as-written template for everyone to use.

Then they're going to be prohibitively expensive. That’s a lot of freaking points.

Originally Posted by Stripe

Apparently, that can't be done. You'll always succeed on a resistance roll on a 3 or 4.

That is correct. It’s only skill rolls that are affected by the “less than 3” bit.

However, and this is important, there’s nothing that says you can’t add a +300% Cosmic enhancement that lets you ignore resistances. Nuts to what Powers says, it’s your game. Do what you want with it! Just be sure to tell your players what rules you’ve changed and how you’ve changed them. If you want no-resistance abilities, then feel free to make them. BadWrongFun only happens when no one is having fun.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Stripe

It's neither. It's beside the point. Anyways, if you can't GM a fun scenario with a monster with an irresistible attack, you're doing something wrong. They are common place in role-playing games (Medusa, Basilisk, etc.).

No, they aren't. In Hero, it's a Transformation Attack that that has to do enough BODY to kill the target. In D&D it's a Petrification Attack that has it's own special save. In World of Darkness it's a dice versus dice roll.

But if you absolutely MUST have a sure thing then go with Cosmic Sight Based Binding, Engulfing Unbreakable, with enough levels to reduce any PC to below 3 in his chance to break free.

[Stripe]

Originally Posted by Agent

It said if the penalty reduces the chance of success to below 3, there is no roll.

I think.

I'd like to know, because there's my answer if so. Like I say, I don't have Powers.