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Old 07-23-2013, 11:51 AM   #1
Gudbrandr
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Default Different Shapes with Area Effects and Cones

Hi,

I'm sure I'm probably just missing something in my searches, but I can't find any ruling on how to create area effects that have a different shape than the default. Primarily I'm looking to create attacks that are a wide, but long blast; like a cylinder.

Examples of the sort of thing I'm looking for are wide beams (e.g. from a giant robot, or those spaceships from Independence Day, or some of the energy attacks from Dragon Ball Z), Wide, but controlled gusts of wind (such as from an elementalist or a superpowered fan the size of some of the ones you see on a movie set) or (if you want to get really weird) and attack that conjures a spectral dragon that charges through several enemies before disappearing within a second.

I'm not looking for a Cone attack that spreads out, or an Area Effect that's round. And Walls require Persistent, which isn't what I want either.


Another, less important, form I'm looking for is a Cone that's two-dimensional, such as a magical sword that can sweep across an area longer than its blade would suggest (e.g. Caladbolg). It seems like it would work different than the standard Cone in that it could feasibly be dodged, but can potentially hit everyone in an area, so a longer reach doesn't seem to fit. Bombardment could be a quick fix, but the fact that it uses a fixed skill as opposed to the wielder's skill is a problem.
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Old 07-23-2013, 12:04 PM   #2
Nereidalbel
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Default Re: Different Shapes with Area Effects and Cones

Variation of Jet looks like it'll work for your super-long energy beams. Your dragon is just a really fancy cosmetic effect with the damage type.

For the sword...a Jet that can be dodged, I guess? Either that, or a very narrow focus beam.
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Old 07-23-2013, 12:34 PM   #3
Gudbrandr
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Default Re: Different Shapes with Area Effects and Cones

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nereidalbel View Post
Variation of Jet looks like it'll work for your super-long energy beams.
That's a good thought, and I was playing with Jets for a while to see if I could get it to work, but what I'm looking for is something that can hit everything in an area, say 3 yards wide by 100 yards long, without spreading out from 1 yard at the origin.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nereidalbel View Post
For the sword...a Jet that can be dodged, I guess? Either that, or a very narrow focus beam.
For the sword, I am looking for a Cone shape (or I suppose a triangle, given that I want it 2D). Something that spreads out, for example a Cone that's 5 yards long with max width of 5 yards, but can be dodged without diving for cover. Cone+Bombardment is actually close, if it could use sword skill as opposed to its own fixed skill.

Thank you for your suggestions
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Old 07-23-2013, 12:42 PM   #4
lexington
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Default Re: Different Shapes with Area Effects and Cones

Cone can be set to have a max width of 1 yard to represent a "wide beam".

I have to say I don't understand how you dodge a 5 yard long sword sweeping along at waist height without diving for cover but generally magic swords are items with arbitrary properties so it shouldn't matter that much. You could also use Imbuements for them, which lets you set point costs.
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Old 07-23-2013, 06:48 PM   #5
Gudbrandr
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Default Re: Different Shapes with Area Effects and Cones

Quote:
Originally Posted by lexington View Post
Cone can be set to have a max width of 1 yard to represent a "wide beam".
That is definitely in the spirit of what I want, and will serve the purpose for most things. Thank you.

I am wondering though, if there's a simple way to have that effect, but uniformly wider (as opposed to getting wider as it goes out). Consider, as an example, an innate attack based on the laser used by the large UFO in Independence Day where it was a strait beam wide enough to destroy an entire building and everyone in it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lexington View Post
I have to say I don't understand how you dodge a 5 yard long sword sweeping along at waist height without diving for cover but generally magic swords are items with arbitrary properties so it shouldn't matter that much.
Hey, I never said it'd be easy, I just think it can be done. A sword that long, but with the normal thickness (or an arc of razor-sharp magical energy that produces a similar effect) would not fill the entire space occupied by an enemy and therefore someone with quick reflexes may be able to duck under or jump over the attack. At the very least it would be able to be dodged by a dive-and-drop even if there isn't appropriate cover nearby by diving under the attack.
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Old 07-23-2013, 07:06 PM   #6
lexington
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Default Re: Different Shapes with Area Effects and Cones

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gudbrandr View Post
Hey, I never said it'd be easy, I just think it can be done. A sword that long, but with the normal thickness (or an arc of razor-sharp magical energy that produces a similar effect) would not fill the entire space occupied by an enemy and therefore someone with quick reflexes may be able to duck under or jump over the attack. At the very least it would be able to be dodged by a dive-and-drop even if there isn't appropriate cover nearby by diving under the attack.
I'd call "can be dodged" about a -20% limitation since it means the ability will only work about half the time. Maybe make it -25% since in my experience a Dodge greater than 10 is more common than a Dodge less than 10.

Cutting Attack 2d (Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Emanation, -20%; Can Be Dodged, -25%) [8]

That would have to be combined into a suite of Alternative Attacks to properly represent a sword.
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Old 07-23-2013, 07:35 PM   #7
Gudbrandr
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Default Re: Different Shapes with Area Effects and Cones

Quote:
Originally Posted by lexington View Post
I'd call "can be dodged" about a -20% limitation since it means the ability will only work about half the time. Maybe make it -25% since in my experience a Dodge greater than 10 is more common than a Dodge less than 10.

Cutting Attack 2d (Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Emanation, -20%; Can Be Dodged, -25%) [8]

That would have to be combined into a suite of Alternative Attacks to properly represent a sword.
This seems appropriate for what I want. Thank you.
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