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Old 01-05-2018, 11:34 AM   #1
ArchonShiva
 
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Default Damaging diffuse targets

The description for diffuse on DFE55 isn’t entirely as clear as one might wish. It would seem listed attacks in DFRPG are few enough that a list can be compiled, especially if we omit spells.

Alchemist’s Fire, thrown at the ground, obviously works. I’m guessing the vial wouldn’t break it it were thrown at most diffuse targets, but what if it were poured unto one?

Does acid only do 2 HP of damage? How about Liquid Ice? (both, again, may need to be poured, or have the bottle tied to a club and smashed unto the target.)

Demon’s Brew should do full damage if the target breathes and isn’t immune to poison... I think.

Swatting with a shield, and any other sort of “wide surface” attack, is 2 HP.
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Old 01-05-2018, 11:45 AM   #2
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

What's unclear about it? Anything that can target a hex and damage everything in that hex does full damage to diffuse targets. If it only damages a single target, it is capped at 1 or 2.
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Old 01-05-2018, 04:59 PM   #3
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

I tend to agree it's pretty clear: Impaling and piercing attacks get one treatment (1 HP), attacks causing all other damage types get another (2 HP), and there's an exception regardless of damage type if the attack is defined as an area effect, a cone, or an explosion (normal injury). What qualifies as an area effect, a cone, or an explosion is also clear; if one attack can affect multiple targets, it's one of those things. Stuff like poison isn't an "attack" in this sense, and whether or not it works depends on traits like Doesn't Breathe, Immunity to Poison, and No Blood – it has no specific interaction with the living/Unliving/Homogeneous/Diffuse spectrum. In practice, most things that are Diffuse are immune, though . . . in fact, nothing in Monsters is Diffuse and not immune.
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Old 01-05-2018, 05:17 PM   #4
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

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Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
In practice, most things that are Diffuse are immune, though . . . in fact, nothing in Monsters is Diffuse and not immune.
Well, swarms are treated as diffuse but are not immune.
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Old 01-08-2018, 01:01 PM   #5
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

Air Jet says "Treat this as actual crushing damage to swarms or vaporous beings."

Is "vaporous" a synonym for "diffuse" or a separate category?

Last edited by dripton; 01-08-2018 at 01:01 PM. Reason: word wrap
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Old 01-08-2018, 01:10 PM   #6
Bruno
 
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

Quote:
Originally Posted by dripton View Post
Air Jet says "Treat this as actual crushing damage to swarms or vaporous beings."

Is "vaporous" a synonym for "diffuse" or a separate category?
Vaporous - vapor, misty, made of airy stuff. Diffuse is not the same thing - jellies, oozes, monsters made of animated water are Diffuse but not vaporous.

EDIT: Vaporous is not a trait or advantage; it's a description, like "Humanoid", and would apply even if the being is Insubstantial, Diffuse, or manages to be solid ie Homogenous or whatever.
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Old 01-08-2018, 01:38 PM   #7
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

Quote:
Originally Posted by ArchonShiva View Post
Alchemist’s Fire, thrown at the ground, obviously works. I’m guessing the vial wouldn’t break it it were thrown at most diffuse targets, but what if it were poured unto one?
See Exploits p. 44. If thrown on the ground it bursts and affects a two-yard radius.
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Does acid only do 2 HP of damage? How about Liquid Ice? (both, again, may need to be poured, or have the bottle tied to a club and smashed unto the target.)
According to Exploits p. 44, corrosives and contact poisons must strike the target, and Liquid Ice says "on contact", so yeah both these cases would require some clever use on diffuse targets.

I think that a literal reading of the rules says that corrosive and contact grenades don't work on ground-hugging swarms like rats, but this doesn't make much sense, so I would ignore it.
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Old 01-08-2018, 06:32 PM   #8
ArchonShiva
 
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

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Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
See Exploits p. 44. If thrown on the ground it bursts and affects a two-yard radius.
What if you hit the diffuse target?
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Old 01-08-2018, 06:35 PM   #9
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

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Originally Posted by ArchonShiva View Post
What if you hit the diffuse target?
Realistically, it goes through the diffuse target and shatters when it hits something, which may or may not wind up affecting the target. By RAW I think it just affects the target as a single target attack, though.
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Old 01-08-2018, 06:56 PM   #10
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Default Re: Damaging diffuse targets

Quote:
Originally Posted by ArchonShiva View Post
What if you hit the diffuse target?
I am having trouble imagining a creature with DR3+ and Diffuse. Do you have an example in mind?
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