Help with this Affliction

[white33]

Hi.

I want to create an Affliction that works through a Quick Contest, as opposed to a simple HT test made by it´s victim, as if it had "Malediction";

The Affliction in question is an incapacitating bite, which requires "Blood Agent", a penetration modifier, thus it cannot also have "Malediction". Since the ability is supposed to be of supernatural nature, as opposed to physical i want to give it different mechanics when it comes to resisting it(the Quick Contest).

Is there a way around it? are there ways other than Malediction of turning the mechanics of the Affliction From a HT test to a Quick Contest? Please help!!!

Thanks.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by white33

Hi.

I want to create an Affliction that works through a Quick Contest, as opposed to a simple HT test made by it´s victim, as if it had "Malediction";

The Affliction in question is an incapacitating bite, which requires "Blood Agent", a penetration modifier, thus it cannot also have "Malediction". Since the ability is supposed to be of supernatural nature, as opposed to physical i want to give it different mechanics when it comes to resisting it(the Quick Contest).

Is there a way around it? are there ways other than Malediction of turning the mechanics of the Affliction From a HT test to a Quick Contest? Please help!!!

Thanks.

Well, a few questions:

1. Quick Contest of what vs. what? Most Quick Contests that I can think of offhand are skill vs skill, skill vs Will (Intimidation comes to mind), or spell vs Will.

2. What's the effect of the Affliction? Is it a standard stun, an irritant (e.g. itching, mild pain, etc), an incapacitation (e.g. paralysis, retching, agony, etc), a granted advantage/disadvantage, a reduced (or hightened) attribute, or something else?

3. Also, as you claim it's a "bite", have you considered using "Follow-Up" to a bite attack (any of the Teeth advantages, including the "Blunt Teeth" 0-point feature, can be used)? This makes the combat roll a DX or Brawling check in order to "hit", with the Affliction only kicking in with its resistance in case of a successful "bite". (This could also work for a "poisoned claw"; all you need is to leave a successful "scratch".)

[Bruno]

The cost of Malediction is partly due to the ability to bypass armor (and why it's mutually exclusive with Blood Agent and Follow Up - those are also penetration modifiers) and partly due to the ability to bypass a to-hit roll.

If you won't be able to bypass armor and you need to hit anyways, instead just presenting a quick contest IF you hit and IF you penetrate armor, I think that's a much smaller enhancement. I'd call it a flat +50% myself - Malediction 0 (doesn't remove to-hit roll, doesn't bypass armor) and I'd make it a follow-up on a bite attack (if the bite fails to penetrate DR, the victim gets his DR as a bonus on his HT roll in the contest).

[Mgellis]

I'm using Paralysis as an example, but it could be any incapacitating condition; it sounds like you want something like this...

Affliction 1 (Paralysis, +150%; Blood agent, -40%; Melee attack, Range C, Cannot parry, -35%; Requires HT roll, -10%*) [17]

* see Powers, p. 112

This isn't quite a quick contest, but to succeed you have to make a HT roll and then on top of it your victim has to fail a HT roll.

I hope this helps.

Mark

[white33]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Yes, the Affliction in question is a bite with an incapacitation effect; It has to be a succesful attack(if used in combat) and it has to bypass armor/DR/etc. and reach the blood stream, thus it does have the "Blood Agent" and "Melee/Cannot Parry" limitations;

The effect i want is in reguards to the test the Affliction´s victim will make in order to resist it´s effects, as opposed to a simple HT test i want it to be a Quick Contest between the afflictioneer´s will vs the target´s HT(as in Malediction).

[Mgellis]

Originally Posted by white33

Thanks for the replies so far.

Yes, the Affliction in question is a bite with an incapacitation effect; It has to be a succesful attack(if used in combat) and it has to bypass armor/DR/etc. and reach the blood stream, thus it does have the "Blood Agent" and "Melee/Cannot Parry" limitations;

The effect i want is in reguards to the test the Affliction´s victim will make in order to resist it´s effects, as opposed to a simple HT test i want it to be a Quick Contest between the afflictioneer´s will vs the target´s HT(as in Malediction).

Hmmm...I suppose you could do this...

Affliction 1 (Paralysis, +150%; Blood agent, -40%; Melee attack, Range C, Cannot parry, -35%; Requires Will roll, -5%*; Cosmic, normal mechanic for Affliction replaced with Quick Contest, allowing a high Will roll to extend the length of the Affliction instead of simply allowing success, +50%**) [22]

* see Powers, p. 112

** this is an advantage because, even though you need a Will roll to succeed, you could easily extend the length of the Affliction by several minutes beyond its "normal" length.

I hope this helps.

Mark

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Mgellis

... Cosmic, normal mechanic for Affliction replaced with Quick Contest, allowing a high Will roll to extend the length of the Affliction instead of simply allowing success, +50%**)

** this is an advantage because, even though you need a Will roll to succeed, you could easily extend the length of the Affliction by several minutes beyond its "normal" length.

That seems reasonable. TTTT, I am having a hard time understanding why an attack like this should be a QC instead of a normal Affliction.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

TTTT, I am having a hard time understanding why an attack like this should be a QC instead of a normal Affliction.

Compare, if you will, the Vampire's Kiss from Vampire the Masquerade (and a lot of modern vampire romance stories), which is pretty much exactly TTTT's advantage except with Ecstasy instead of Paralysis.

First thing I thought of, anyways.