Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-09-2013, 11:42 AM   #1
thecommabandit
 
thecommabandit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Default Questions about the surge modifier

I'm confused as to what the surge damage modifier actually does. The description under the modifiers section says it can incapacitate equipment or characters with the Electrical disadvantage but the disadvantage description only says that surge damage knocks Electrical characters unconscious on a critical hit - this seems a little useless, since critical hits have such a low chance of happening. Am I missing something?
thecommabandit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2013, 11:55 AM   #2
apoc527
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Seattle, WA
Default Re: Questions about the surge modifier

I think that's fine, though. For one thing, many higher tech weapons have the surge modifier and they can easily crit 10% of the time by attacking with an effective skill of 16+. For another, if the surge modifier affected Electrical characters too much, it would be crippling.
__________________
-apoc527
My Campaigns

Currently Playing: GURPS Banestorm: The Symmetry of Darkness

Inactive:
Star*Drive: 2525-Hunting for Fun and Profit
My THS Campaign-In the Shadows of Venus
Yrth--The Legend Begins
The XCOM Apocalypse
apoc527 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2013, 12:11 PM   #3
roguebfl
Dog of Lysdexics
 
roguebfl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Melbourne FL, Formerly Wellington NZ
Default Re: Questions about the surge modifier

Yes you are missing something ( but it's not you're fault)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
Electrical assumes that you're vulnerable to shorts, drains, and surges as well as all the usual stuff that affects meat-people -- acceleration, bends, disease, poison, etc. If this isn't true, then take both Electrical [-20] and Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30], for a net 10 points. It's not a 0-point special effect because, overall, the bad things that affect electrical systems are rarer than the bad things that affect meat. This is how the trait was priced.

As for its effects, it means that EMPs, power drains, and electrical interference that would affect gadgets also affect you. You're susceptible to attacks with modifiers such as "Only on Electrical" and Surge* (including all electrolasers, blasters, and stun guns), subject to Technological Spells that would otherwise not affect you (this is in addition to Body Control, Mind Control, etc.!), and affected by any device in the upcoming Ultra-Tech that jams or disables electronics.
* Surge is missing some text in the Basic Set. David Pulver got this to me in time for Powers. Add: "Electronics that take over 1/3 HP from an attack with this enhancement must make a HT roll to avoid shorting out. Failure disables the target for seconds equal to the margin of failure; critical failure disables it until repaired (see Repairs, p. B484)."
GURPS Power's entry for surge has the missing text.
__________________
Rogue the Bronze Firelizard
Gerald Grenier, Jr. Hail Eris!
Rogue's Weyr

Last edited by roguebfl; 03-09-2013 at 02:05 PM.
roguebfl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2013, 01:23 PM   #4
PK
 
PK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dobbstown Sane Asylum
Default Re: Questions about the surge modifier

Quote:
Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
GURPS Power's entry for surge has the missing text.
We also updated Surge's description in GURPS Power-Ups 4: Enhancements.
__________________
Reverend Pee Kitty of the Order Malkavian-Dobbsian (Twitter) (LJ)

MyGURPS: My house rules and GURPS resources.

#SJGamesLive: I answered questions about GURPS After the End and more!
{Watch Video} - {Read Transcript}
PK is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:52 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.