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01-23-2010, 10:39 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Chain Effect Modifier
I'm looking for a standardized way to build "chain" powers such as chain lightning using a well defined modifier. As far as I know there is no such official modifier unless it is in one of the Dungeon Fantasy books. If so, please give me a pointer to it. Otherwise, here is my proposal for Chain Effect.
This seems to me to be balanced against Area Effect, Cone, and Rapid Fire. I'm very much interested in other opinions. |
01-23-2010, 10:46 AM | #2 |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
Area Effect + Selective: All targets in the AoE are hit by chain lightning. Whether the lightning jumps from one victim to the next, or comes from the sky, is just cosmetics.
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01-23-2010, 10:55 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
What if you want the original damage to drop with every "jump" though?
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01-23-2010, 11:11 AM | #4 | |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
Quote:
Honestly, that would be too complicated for my taste, and possibly slow down the game. ymmv, of course.
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01-24-2010, 05:24 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
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I mean something like the following: Chain lightning (2d; Skill for Follow-up-lightnings: 12): Roll to hit for a chosen target (using the innate attack skill). If hit the target takes 2d damage. The target NEXT to this original target is attacked with skill 12 minus range from the original target. Damage is half the damage rolled in the first roll. The chain continues until damage is lower than 1 or an attack roll misses. Probably selective for enemies only, but not necessarily..
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01-24-2010, 06:52 AM | #6 | |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
I guess you could do something by estimating the average number of targets, the average number of dice dealt, and come up with something. Merely thinking about it gives me headache, though - I hadn't a specific scheme in mind. Just thinking out loud.
I'd estimate you could fairly end up with something like a 10% discount for every die lost by jumping to the next target, assuming you go the AE+Selective build. Quote:
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01-24-2010, 07:42 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The ASS of the world, mainly Valencia, Spain (Europe)
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
One possibility is Area Effect+bombardment+disipation, and then eyeballing some modifier that makes you need to hit the previous target to continue to jump, loosing damage as if all targets where in a straight line away from the primary one.
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01-24-2010, 09:53 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
That does work in some cases, but it doesn't give the right feel. Traditionally chain spells affect a smaller maximum number of targets, but further apart than straight forward AoE spells. Also, a chain can wrap around an obstacle that would protect someone from Area Effect, such as a double bend in a corridor. Additional existing modifiers can simulate that under some circumstances, but not all.
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01-24-2010, 09:57 AM | #9 |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
Why would a double bend in a corridor protect from an unmodified AE?
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01-24-2010, 11:26 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Albuquerque
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Re: Chain Effect Modifier
To properly build this "effect" i would just take multiple linked innate attacks:
Chain Lightning [96] ------------------------- Innate Attack 8d burning damage: 56 +20%: Surge +20%: Link Innate Attack 4d burning damage: 28 +20%: Surge +20%: Link Innate Attack 2d burning damage: 14 +20%: Surge +20%: Link Innate Attack 1d burning damage: 7 +20%: Surge +20%: Link ------------------------- -10% (ad hoc) Linked effects can only be used with DIFFERENT targets. Now you have a chain effect that has multiply linked effects, naturally you would use the strongest, then the second strongest, then the third, etc. all the way down the chain, but in theory, you could also use it in reverse and make it a chain that gathers in strength instead. Keep in mind this is the skeleton, feel free to add whatever modifiers and what not to the innate attacks to give you the truly proper "feel". (guided, homing, cosmic, armor divisors(!), etc.) On a side note, rolling in dkb would be really fun to make it simulate that "throw" effect of magical lightning ;) Last edited by Desthro; 01-24-2010 at 11:32 AM. |
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