Strange effects with DR

[ericthered]

I want a DR shield that turns HP damage into FP damage. It will go down when the wielder reaches 0 FP (which I think is just a nuciance effect, or even a feature).

I've had the suggestion of making a series of alternate abilities that cost 1 FP per DR, and then giving them reflexive and emergencies only, but that feels really clunky.

I've also thought about building them as ablative with some sort of enhancement (Cosmic, damages FP instead of armor +50%).

Any ideas on how to build this?

[Anaraxes]

IDHMBWM, but doesn't a switchable advantage go off if you go unconscious (0 FP)?

I'd be tempted to converting to FP instead of HP damage a feature. FP damage is usually scarier. But that's avoiding the problem because I don't have a good answer :)

You might do something with Reflexive Healing to heal exactly the damage you take, while costing you FP -- set to a 1:1 ratio.

[the_matrix_walker]

Healing (Cosmic, no cumulative use or shock penalties, +100%; Heals Self, +50%; Reflexive, +40%; Self Only, -50%; Injuries Only,-20%)[66]


Of course, that's 1 FP to 2 HP...

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I want a DR shield that turns HP damage into FP damage. It will go down when the wielder reaches 0 FP (which I think is just a nuciance effect, or even a feature).

I've wanted this sort of build for a while too (although I was thinking Energy Reserve - that's only a small step from FP).

Of course, what I was looking at was also a baroque bastard child of Ablative DR, so it sort of spun out of control.


I think perhaps there might be value in looking at both Ablative and Variable Costs FP (with a level equal to the level of your DR) since it's going to be a weird mix of "doesn't cost any FP to sustain" and "Can potentially cost many more FP than you have levels in any given second of combat".

One guy with a ROF attack (or two+ guys attacking you at once) can hit you multiple times in one turn and never penetrate your DR, which would normally cause you to take no damage... but with this you could take many multiples your DR in FP damage instead. Which would be bad.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

IDHMBWM, but doesn't a switchable advantage go off if you go unconscious (0 FP)?

good point, especially as the advantage is already going to be switchable.

I'd be tempted to converting to FP instead of HP damage a feature. FP damage is usually scarier. But that's avoiding the problem because I don't have a good answer :)

Indeed it normally is. but its an advantage here because FP recovers much easier and doesn't have shock penalties. In addition the blow doesn't actually hit: the effect is similar to blunt trauma.

You might do something with Reflexive Healing to heal exactly the damage you take, while costing you FP -- set to a 1:1 ratio.

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Healing (Cosmic, no cumulative use or shock penalties, +100%; Heals Self, +50%; Reflexive, +40%; Self Only, -50%; Injuries Only,-20%)[66]


Of course, that's 1 FP to 2 HP...

hmm.... that's an interesting start. a "no roll required" will also be needed, as will the "you weren't actually hit" effect. In addition, the Armor is directional.

1 FP to 2HP isn't an unworkable thing, but the rest of it feels too big and expensive, not to mention that we're using the healing advantage as armor...

[David Johnston2]

Nuisance Effect -50% It would be more but I'm assuming this character will have a lot of fatigue

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Bruno

One guy with a ROF attack (or two+ guys attacking you at once) can hit you multiple times in one turn and never penetrate your DR, which would normally cause you to take no damage... but with this you could take many multiples your DR in FP damage instead. Which would be bad.

This part specifically is what's making me think of "a nutty version of Ablative". You don't need your DR to wear down with each attack, just your FP, right?

I'd almost be tempted to call it just a 0% switch on regular Ablative.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I've wanted this sort of build for a while too (although I was thinking Energy Reserve - that's only a small step from FP).

Of course, what I was looking at was also a baroque bastard child of Ablative DR, so it sort of spun out of control.

Ablative DR is pretty nice as it is.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has thought of a shield that takes effort to use in relation to the number of hits it takes as opposed to the amount of time its on. The idea seems fairly intuitive to me.

I suppose a weird form of injury tolerance may actually work: HP to FP, somewhere from 10-20 points, and then add limitations. add immunity to shock, follow up attacks, and symptoms (a broad category, I think) while above 0 FP and attacked from the front.

I think perhaps there might be value in looking at both Ablative and Variable Costs FP (with a level equal to the level of your DR) since it's going to be a weird mix of "doesn't cost any FP to sustain" and "Can potentially cost many more FP than you have levels in any given second of combat".

One guy with a ROF attack (or two+ guys attacking you at once) can hit you multiple times in one turn and never penetrate your DR, which would normally cause you to take no damage... but with this you could take many multiples your DR in FP damage instead. Which would be bad.

DR 10(Forcefeild+20%, Directional-20%, ablative -80%, FP instead of DR +40%) [30].
[35] if you insist the effect is cosmic. So much depends on the value of the FP instead of DR (+2% costs a point at these levels).

DR X (Forcefeild +20%, Directional -20%, Costs X FP per sec, Reflexive +40%) costs 7X-.5X^2. making them alternate abilites costs around 70. taking the value of the highest (which is actually 7) and making it variable for +5% really doesn't seem fair though.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Nuisance Effect -50% It would be more but I'm assuming this character will have a lot of fatigue

Originally Posted by Bruno

This part specifically is what's making me think of "a nutty version of Ablative". You don't need your DR to wear down with each attack, just your FP, right?

I'd almost be tempted to call it just a 0% switch on regular Ablative.

Come to think of it, the option HURTS worse than plain ablative, and even if you are buying your FP way up, you're paying three times the cost of Ablative and giving foes a way to sap your power. I suppose the faster healing of FP makes up for some of that, but I'm not seeing how this is any better that ablative other than that.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Come to think of it, the option HURTS worse than plain ablative, and even if you are buying your FP way up, you're paying three times the cost of Ablative and giving foes a way to sap your power. I suppose the faster healing of FP makes up for some of that, but I'm not seeing how this is any better that ablative other than that.

As long as your FP and your DR are in roughly the same numerical region, and you don't have Extreme FP regeneration or something, I would be quite comfortable calling even 2 damage to 1 FP roughly the same as straight-up Ablative (-80%). "Costs FP" is pretty badly priced for something that could suddenly be costing you many FP per second.

Aside from the FP loss, To cover your power shutting down automatically, you need two things: the 0% feature that your force field won't FP-damage you to death (or at most -5% but that's dubious) and some reason he can't just turn the forcefield back on immediately after someone transfers FP to him or he wolfs down a powerbar or a paut potion or whatever to recover some FP. I suggest Takes Recharge, but Limited Uses, Takes Extra Time, and Preparation Required are all useful.