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Old 03-10-2016, 11:45 PM   #1
scc
 
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Default [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

OK parts of this idea have been kicking around my head for at least a year and that hasn't exactly made the idea any clearer and other stuff is fairly recent.

So I've been thinking that GURPS could do with some more damage types, mainly a codification of how to make certain types of attacks like Lasers and Lightning Bolts easier to build and write, instead of xd bur sur you write xd lig for a lightning bolt and everyone knows what it means, I think calling them Common Damage Types, to differentiate them from Basic Damage Types works best.

Recently however I have to wonder if there isn't at least one missing Basic Damage Type:

Holy/Unholy (Fire): This isn't like the PM for the Holy and Unholy Powers, but it IS likely related in some way. I'm not sure if this an actual damage type or a modifier that can be applied to attacks. Of course it could be both depending upon your universe, sometimes these sorts of attacks only harm Holy/Unholy beings, other times they just get hurt worse. And while fire is the most common version of these sorts of attacks, Holy attacks are sometimes just a pure blinding light. And then you have the cases where these sorts of attacks have secondary effects like inspiring courage in the downhearted.

Note that that may well be just the tip of the ice berg, the existing damage types are good for simulating real world damage, but fantasy often times includes weird damage effects like freezing, silver or other alignment based ones?
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Old 03-11-2016, 12:33 AM   #2
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

Freezing is Burning but without Incendiary as it can't start fires.
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Old 03-11-2016, 01:24 AM   #3
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

Under Create the +50% level of Cosmic is for Essential elements and I could see adding that to some IA for things like Holy Light or Sunlight rather then just Light.
However this is really a setting thing so no place for it in Basic.
Sometimes you would go off the PM, other times call it a special effect or feature and other times use a modifier like an Enhancement or Limitation.
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Old 03-11-2016, 01:26 AM   #4
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
Freezing is Burning but without Incendiary as it can't start fires.
Yes, in normally, but for DF that might not be true
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Old 03-11-2016, 01:57 AM   #5
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

Quote:
Originally Posted by scc View Post
Yes, in normally, but for DF that might not be true
No, that's exactly how it's done in DF. Basic Set even tells you to leave out the Non-Incendiary if it's a supernatural attack that makes "cold" fires.
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Old 03-11-2016, 03:12 AM   #6
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

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Originally Posted by Nereidalbel View Post
No, that's exactly how it's done in DF. Basic Set even tells you to leave out the Non-Incendiary if it's a supernatural attack that makes "cold" fires.
Fantasy universes FREQUENTLY involve divergent physical laws, and in such a universe it is entirely possible that to inflict actual burns you need fire, NOTHING else will work
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Old 03-11-2016, 05:40 PM   #7
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

Quote:
Originally Posted by scc View Post
OK parts of this idea have been kicking around my head for at least a year and that hasn't exactly made the idea any clearer and other stuff is fairly recent.

So I've been thinking that GURPS could do with some more damage types, mainly a codification of how to make certain types of attacks like Lasers and Lightning Bolts easier to build and write, instead of xd bur sur you write xd lig for a lightning bolt and everyone knows what it means, I think calling them Common Damage Types, to differentiate them from Basic Damage Types works best.

Recently however I have to wonder if there isn't at least one missing Basic Damage Type:

Holy/Unholy (Fire): This isn't like the PM for the Holy and Unholy Powers, but it IS likely related in some way. I'm not sure if this an actual damage type or a modifier that can be applied to attacks. Of course it could be both depending upon your universe, sometimes these sorts of attacks only harm Holy/Unholy beings, other times they just get hurt worse. And while fire is the most common version of these sorts of attacks, Holy attacks are sometimes just a pure blinding light. And then you have the cases where these sorts of attacks have secondary effects like inspiring courage in the downhearted.

Note that that may well be just the tip of the ice berg, the existing damage types are good for simulating real world damage, but fantasy often times includes weird damage effects like freezing, silver or other alignment based ones?
I talked about this a bit in this thread. Specifically these two posts.
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Old 03-12-2016, 09:56 AM   #8
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

Here is lethal electrical damage written up as an IA. If I were going to call it a new damage type, it would have a cost of 27 points/level.

Nonelethal elecrrical damage is just an affliction and doesnt require much tweaking, really.
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Old 03-12-2016, 01:06 PM   #9
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Default Re: [Basic/Powers] Addational Damager

Quote:
Originally Posted by scc View Post
Fantasy universes FREQUENTLY involve divergent physical laws, and in such a universe it is entirely possible that to inflict actual burns you need fire, NOTHING else will work
Burn damage means energy. It does NOT mean that "every attacking doing this type of damage leaves burn marks on the target." And please, do find me a single universe where heating a piece of steel until it's red hot does not cause burns, and/or one where electricity does not cause burns.
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