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Old 02-09-2013, 11:34 PM   #1
Morathor
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Default Building an uncontrolled attack with a very specific trigger

I'm trying to design a villain for a superhero game I'm running. His basic power is easy enough to design: he absorbs impacts to convert them into his own power, so DR with Absorption (ST Only) and Limited (Physical Attacks Only).

However, I want him to have a secondary ability: if he absorbs too much power, he'll have an explosive overload. So it's an Innate Attack (Explosion, Emanation) that triggers automatically if he reaches his Absorption limit, and which he can't activate consciously. I'm looking at various limitations, and the best I can come up with is some sort of Accessibility, possibly combined with Unconscious Only (although the latter says its supposed to be used with Uncontrollable).

Of course, this is an NPC, so I don't have to build him as strictly as I would a PC; I could just say 'this is how it works.' But I want him to have a clearly defined point total, mainly to make sure I don't go out of control and make him too powerful.

A side note: another effect of his explosive overload would be to disable his power armor; in rules terms it would forcefully shift him out of his alternate form and disable that advantage for a while. I'm not sure how to handle that, either. Would I apply it as a limitation to the innate attack, or the alternate form? Or some independent disadvantage?

Any help would be appreciated.
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Old 02-10-2013, 12:03 AM   #2
Sunrunners_Fire
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Default Re: Building an uncontrolled attack with a very specific trigger

Quote:
Originally Posted by Morathor View Post
I'm trying to design a villain for a superhero game I'm running. His basic power is easy enough to design: he absorbs impacts to convert them into his own power, so DR with Absorption (ST Only) and Limited (Physical Attacks Only).

However, I want him to have a secondary ability: if he absorbs too much power, he'll have an explosive overload. So it's an Innate Attack (Explosion, Emanation) that triggers automatically if he reaches his Absorption limit, and which he can't activate consciously. I'm looking at various limitations, and the best I can come up with is some sort of Accessibility, possibly combined with Unconscious Only (although the latter says its supposed to be used with Uncontrollable).

Of course, this is an NPC, so I don't have to build him as strictly as I would a PC; I could just say 'this is how it works.' But I want him to have a clearly defined point total, mainly to make sure I don't go out of control and make him too powerful.
Uncontrollable Trigger (GURPS Powers, pg 106).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Morathor View Post
A side note: another effect of his explosive overload would be to disable his power armor; in rules terms it would forcefully shift him out of his alternate form and disable that advantage for a while. I'm not sure how to handle that, either. Would I apply it as a limitation to the innate attack, or the alternate form? Or some independent disadvantage?
Backlash (GURPS Powers, pg 104). Allow it to include Negated Advantage.

And so: Backlash (Negated Advantage (Alternate Form)) -15%, would shut off the character's Alternate Form for a minute, minimum, with every minute after that allowing a HT roll to recover from the Negated Advantage.

Assuming the AF costs [15] anywise.

I'd apply it to the advantage (the explosion from absorption overload) that shuts it off.
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Old 02-10-2013, 09:58 PM   #3
Morathor
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Default Re: Building an uncontrolled attack with a very specific trigger

Thank you, that was incredibly helpful.
I feel a little embarrassed now... I did look through Powers, but I guess I wasn't as thorough as I thought.
Those will do nicely. Thank you very much.
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