"Phase" questions: vs. Area Attacks, and "Phase" as an advantage

[Sdrolion]

Hey, all--

I presently play a low-armor (actually, no-armor) character in a game, and for various reasons don't wish to expand my character's DR (it's a storyline thing). I've been trying to find a way to prevent Area Effect attacks from being exceptionally lethal to him (since they can't be dodged if they're large enough, and he's pretty dependent on dodging or parrying attacks) that suits his storyline. He has various powers related to ghosts and spirits, so I thought maybe that he could temporarily convert his body into a spiritual form.

As it turns out, there's a Blocking Spell, Phase, that does just that, which was cool. I love it when I have an idea and the game already has a spell for it.

My questions are thus:

1. Would "Phase" actually work vs. an Area Effect attack or Explosion or Fragmentation? I'm assuming so since it makes you ethereal "for long enough" to avoid the effects of the attack, but that would make it an exception to the normal defensive rules for AE attacks (that they can't be dodged unless you can get out of their radius entirely with a dodge and drop). It makes sense to me, though, and I guess that would be why Phase requires Magery 3--it's pretty powerful.

2. If I wanted to represent Phase using an advantage instead of a spell, how could I go about that? Obviously I probably want Insubstantial, with some kind of enhancement to make it usable as an active defense, but Reflexive didn't seem to work...Reflexive in fact looks like it would make this too reliable, as it doesn't require any kind of roll if the ability doesn't require one by default. I guess I could put Reflexive on along with a limitation that gives it a required roll, but that still doesn't seem right. Anyone have any ideas? My character does have Magery, so this isn't essential...but it'd be nice to see what my options are.

Oh, and one more question on Blocking Spells in general:

3. Do you use your Blocking Spell at full spell skill, or at 1/2 + 3 like for other Active Defenses? I'm assuming full skill, but that does seem to pretty much allow one guaranteed use...which may be the intent, considering it's a dodge you can only use once (without Blocking Spell Mastery) and it costs you FP to use it. If you do cast the spell at full spell skill, does that count as your defense roll, or do you still have a defense roll to do to use the spell effectively/time it/whatever? Sorry--just haven't used them before, so a little confused.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Sdrolion

1. Would "Phase" actually work vs. an Area Effect attack or Explosion or Fragmentation? I'm assuming so since it makes you ethereal "for long enough" to avoid the effects of the attack, but that would make it an exception to the normal defensive rules for AE attacks (that they can't be dodged unless you can get out of their radius entirely with a dodge and drop). It makes sense to me, though, and I guess that would be why Phase requires Magery 3--it's pretty powerful.

IDNHMBWM, but it should protect you from the whole attack.

2. If I wanted to represent Phase using an advantage instead of a spell, how could I go about that? Obviously I probably want Insubstantial, with some kind of enhancement to make it usable as an active defense, but Reflexive didn't seem to work...Reflexive in fact looks like it would make this too reliable, as it doesn't require any kind of roll if the ability doesn't require one by default. I guess I could put Reflexive on along with a limitation that gives it a required roll, but that still doesn't seem right. Anyone have any ideas? My character does have Magery, so this isn't essential...but it'd be nice to see what my options are.

Check Active Defense, under Requires Attribute Roll, on p. 112 of GURPS Powers. It's a limitation that turns an advantage into an active defense.

Oh, and one more question on Blocking Spells in general:

3. Do you use your Blocking Spell at full spell skill, or at 1/2 + 3 like for other Active Defenses? I'm assuming full skill, but that does seem to pretty much allow one guaranteed use...which may be the intent, considering it's a dodge you can only use once (without Blocking Spell Mastery) and it costs you FP to use it. If you do cast the spell at full spell skill, does that count as your defense roll, or do you still have a defense roll to do to use the spell effectively/time it/whatever? Sorry--just haven't used them before, so a little confused.

You roll blocking spells at full skill, and yes, it's your defense roll.

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Sdrolion

1. Would "Phase" actually work vs. an Area Effect attack or Explosion or Fragmentation?

Yes.

2. If I wanted to represent Phase using an advantage instead of a spell, how could I go about that?

You'd use Insubstantiality with modifiers, things like Reflexive +40%, and then put on tons of limitations, like Requires Attribute Roll, and such if you aren't using it for much else.

3. Do you use your Blocking Spell at full spell skill, or at 1/2 + 3 like for other Active Defenses?

Blocking Spells aren't Active Defenses, they are spells which take no time to cast and give you an effect like an Active Defense, they are cast at full skill modified by spells on, like other spells...

[Sdrolion]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Check Active Defense, under Requires Attribute Roll, on p. 112 of GURPS Powers. It's a limitation that turns an advantage into an active defense.

I did see that one, yeah...but I read it as a limitation that makes something that's already a defensive ability (DR, Injury tolerance, etc.) require an active defense, not one that makes an ability that isn't already a defense into an active defense. I'm not sure I'd see that working to convert it to an AD on its own...it seems like it's giving you something there, and it is a limitation, which generally shouldn't give you something...though I guess it is kind of an exchange?

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

You'd use Insubstantiality with modifiers, things like Reflexive +40%, and then put on tons of limitations, like Requires Attribute Roll, and such if you aren't using it for much else.

I guess if I did "Reflexive" + "Requires Attribute Roll" that would give me it at the roll -4 as a reflexive defense, and still let me use it normally as well, just with the Attribute roll? (Or if my GM allows it, modify the Reflexive modifier with Requires Attr. Roll so he only takes the Attr. roll if he's using it reflexively.) The only issue with that is that it doesn't seem like it would be exposed to the usual "ascending penalty" flaw of defenses, so it'd be easy to make an ultimate defense there...but then, I could probably put some kind of "once per round" accessibility on it or something like that, too, to imitate the blocking spell, or just plain Limited Use.

Thanks to both of you.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Sdrolion

I did see that one, yeah...but I read it as a limitation that makes something that's already a defensive ability (DR, Injury tolerance, etc.) require an active defense, not one that makes an ability that isn't already a defense into an active defense. I'm not sure I'd see that working to convert it to an AD on its own...it seems like it's giving you something there, and it is a limitation, which generally shouldn't give you something...though I guess it is kind of an exchange?

And Insubstantial is not a defensive ability? Also, baseline insubstantial can power-dodge (It's one of the examples) for free.

[Sdrolion]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

And Insubstantial is not a defensive ability? Also, baseline insubstantial can power-dodge (It's one of the examples) for free.

Yeah, I guess you're right on that. And you are losing the ability to use it as a normal power there, since you require an Active Defense roll to use it, right?

We haven't been using the power dodge rules and such, but I'll take a look at those now. I might want to bring those up, since it looks kind of interesting and expands the use of one power.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Sdrolion

Yeah, I guess you're right on that. And you are losing the ability to use it as a normal power there, since you require an Active Defense roll to use it, right?

We haven't been using the power dodge rules and such, but I'll take a look at those now. I might want to bring those up, since it looks kind of interesting and expands the use of one power.

Yeah, adding Active Defense makes the ability usable ONLY as a power defense, not as a baseline ability.

Oh, and if you're not using the Power Defense rules, then a Special Option perk might be required by the GM to access them.

[Sdrolion]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Yeah, adding Active Defense makes the ability usable ONLY as a power defense, not as a baseline ability.

Oh, and if you're not using the Power Defense rules, then a Special Option perk might be required by the GM to access them.

Yeah--I don't think any of us had actually even looked at them, so I'll see if the GM wants to take a look at it and include them in general, and bring up the perk option if he'd rather not use it for everything.

I guess you'd probably do "Special Option: Power Dodge w/Insubstantiality," to make a properly limited perk--gives you one of the options with one power.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Sdrolion

I guess you'd probably do "Special Option: Power Dodge w/Insubstantiality," to make a properly limited perk--gives you one of the options with one power.

In this case, since it's basically "sacrificing a character point to appease the GMing Gods", it depends on the GM how narrowly it should be restricted. I'd accept personally accept the above wording in games where I'd accept the idea at all, so I think it's a good proposal.

However, things like Special Option and Special Exercises are open to a certain amount of flexibility - they might normally be enhancements and limitation except that at one character point they don't have any real effect on point cost.