Building a Healing Power that also causes pain

mikeejimbo · 09-16-2014, 10:01 PM

I'm GMing a game for a few people who are new to GURPS, and so I'm helping them with some powers. One had an idea of a character who isn't quite aware of how her powers work or what they're doing, and so some of them have unfortunate side-effects.

I'm currently trying to build a power based on the Healing Advantage that also causes Moderate Pain in subjects that are healed by it. Right now I'm modeling this with Affliction 1 (Melee Attack -30%, Moderate Pain +20%, Link +10%) [10] + Healing (Link +10%) [33]. The idea is that if the character realizes she's causing pain in her victims, she could start to use it "offensively", that is, grapple an undamaged enemy and "heal" them, subjecting them to the pain but giving them no real benefit. Out of combat, naturally, she can heal her allies and they just have to suffer through it.

Although I'm relatively happy with the effects of using Link like this, I can't help but wonder if there would be a better way to do it. As it is now, it would be cheaper for her to buy Affliction 1 (Melee Attack -30%, Moderate Pain +20%) [9] and Healing [30], and she wouldn't have the drawback of having to have them linked; she could just use Healing on allies and Affliction on her enemies.

Would it be balanced to let her have Healing with a Nuisance Effect for Moderate Pain, and still let her use it "offensively"?

Christopher R. Rice · 09-16-2014, 10:15 PM

I've done this in the past as a Nuisance Effect (Backlash) with half cost, can only be added to abilities that are beneficial, and inflicts a -1 reaction rolls per -10% its worth if you want to use it against on someone who has experienced it before . Using it offensively requires that you purchase an Affliction as an Alternate Ability. So something like...

Healing (Nuisance Effect, Subjects suffer moderate pain, -10%) [27] results in a ability that inflicts anyone you heal with it -2 all DX, IQ, skill, and self-control rolls for 1 minute (roll HT to recover after each minute) and a -1 on reaction rolls and unless they are a masochist they'll be damned sure to stay out of your "gentle reach." If you can use it offensively, you'd buy Affliction 1 (HT; Moderate Pain, +20%) [12] as a alternate ability for 3 points.

mikeejimbo · 09-16-2014, 10:58 PM

Thanks! I especially like how that still comes out to 30 points, even if it is just a coincidence.

Christopher R. Rice · 09-16-2014, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeejimbo

Thanks! I especially like how that still comes out to 30 points, even if it is just a coincidence.

Oh? You believe it was coincidence? FEAR MAH MAD SKILLZ, NEWB! ;-) Glad I could help.

mikeejimbo · 09-17-2014, 01:47 PM

Truly, you must be one of the Hidden Masters!

I'd like to ask one more piece of advice on the ability. Would it be fair to put Nuisance Effect (Also applies Healing) on the Affliction as well?

Christopher R. Rice · 09-17-2014, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeejimbo

I'd like to ask one more piece of advice on the ability. Would it be fair to put Nuisance Effect (Also applies Healing) on the Affliction as well?

What do you mean here exactly? I'm a bit unsure of what this is supposed to do.

sonic232 · 09-17-2014, 02:19 PM

Use your original design, but give the Affliction the +20% version of Link where it can be used seperately from Healing. This makes it so Healing HAS to be used with the Affliction, but Affliction can be used seperatelly from Healing.

Varyon · 09-17-2014, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

What do you mean here exactly? I'm a bit unsure of what this is supposed to do.

Your current build sets it so the character can heal his allies but cause them pain at the same time, or he can just cause pain to his enemies. I think OP wants a build where the character can heal his allies but cause them pain at the same time, or he can cause pain to his enemies but heal them at the same time. That is, the AA would have Nuisance Effect (Heals Target). That seems legitimate to me - the only targets the character would opt to use his pain version on are people he doesn't like (people he does, he wants to heal). It's a nice symmetry. Practically, however, this would probably make no real difference - the Nuisance Effect probably isn't worth -20% (I'd eyeball it at -10% or so), which is the minimum you'd need to drop the AA price to [2].

sonic232 · 09-17-2014, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Varyon

Your current build sets it so the character can heal his allies but cause them pain at the same time, or he can just cause pain to his enemies. I think OP wants a build where the character can heal his allies but cause them pain at the same time, or he can cause pain to his enemies but heal them at the same time. That is, the AA would have Nuisance Effect (Heals Target). That seems legitimate to me - the only targets the character would opt to use his pain version on are people he doesn't like (people he does, he wants to heal). It's a nice symmetry. Practically, however, this would probably make no real difference - the Nuisance Effect probably isn't worth -20% (I'd eyeball it at -10% or so), which is the minimum you'd need to drop the AA price to [2].

No, I looked over his requirements. Healing the enemy is in quotes. The intent is to weaponize the pain part without imparting healing. All this would mean is using his original design, but giving the Affliction the +20% version of Link. Healing cannot be used without Affliction this way, but Affliction can be used without Healing.

mikeejimbo · 09-17-2014, 02:40 PM

Ah, sorry, I wasn't being clear at first. I do want it to heal enemies it's used on if they are damaged. I put "healing" in quotes when I explained that the most tactical use of it would probably be to target an undamaged enemy, which wouldn't heal them. (As they're already at full HP.)

09-16-2014, 10:01 PM	#1
mikeejimbo Join Date: Jul 2007	Building a Healing Power that also causes pain I'm GMing a game for a few people who are new to GURPS, and so I'm helping them with some powers. One had an idea of a character who isn't quite aware of how her powers work or what they're doing, and so some of them have unfortunate side-effects. I'm currently trying to build a power based on the Healing Advantage that also causes Moderate Pain in subjects that are healed by it. Right now I'm modeling this with Affliction 1 (Melee Attack -30%, Moderate Pain +20%, Link +10%) [10] + Healing (Link +10%) [33]. The idea is that if the character realizes she's causing pain in her victims, she could start to use it "offensively", that is, grapple an undamaged enemy and "heal" them, subjecting them to the pain but giving them no real benefit. Out of combat, naturally, she can heal her allies and they just have to suffer through it. Although I'm relatively happy with the effects of using Link like this, I can't help but wonder if there would be a better way to do it. As it is now, it would be cheaper for her to buy Affliction 1 (Melee Attack -30%, Moderate Pain +20%) [9] and Healing [30], and she wouldn't have the drawback of having to have them linked; she could just use Healing on allies and Affliction on her enemies. Would it be balanced to let her have Healing with a Nuisance Effect for Moderate Pain, and still let her use it "offensively"?

09-16-2014, 10:15 PM	#2
Christopher R. Rice Raven and a Writing Desk Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA	Re: Building a Healing Power that also causes pain I've done this in the past as a Nuisance Effect (Backlash) with half cost, can only be added to abilities that are beneficial, and inflicts a -1 reaction rolls per -10% its worth if you want to use it against on someone who has experienced it before . Using it offensively requires that you purchase an Affliction as an Alternate Ability. So something like... Healing (Nuisance Effect, Subjects suffer moderate pain, -10%) [27] results in a ability that inflicts anyone you heal with it -2 all DX, IQ, skill, and self-control rolls for 1 minute (roll HT to recover after each minute) and a -1 on reaction rolls and unless they are a masochist they'll be damned sure to stay out of your "gentle reach." If you can use it offensively, you'd buy Affliction 1 (HT; Moderate Pain, +20%) [12] as a alternate ability for 3 points. __________________ My Twitter My w23 Stuff My Blog Latest GURPS Book: Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Thieves Latest TFT Book: The Sunken Library Become a Patron!

09-16-2014, 10:58 PM	#3
mikeejimbo Join Date: Jul 2007	Re: Building a Healing Power that also causes pain Thanks! I especially like how that still comes out to 30 points, even if it is just a coincidence.

09-17-2014, 01:47 PM	#5
mikeejimbo Join Date: Jul 2007	Re: Building a Healing Power that also causes pain Truly, you must be one of the Hidden Masters! I'd like to ask one more piece of advice on the ability. Would it be fair to put Nuisance Effect (Also applies Healing) on the Affliction as well?

09-17-2014, 02:19 PM	#7
sonic232 Join Date: Jun 2006	Re: Building a Healing Power that also causes pain Use your original design, but give the Affliction the +20% version of Link where it can be used seperately from Healing. This makes it so Healing HAS to be used with the Affliction, but Affliction can be used seperatelly from Healing.

09-17-2014, 02:40 PM	#10
mikeejimbo Join Date: Jul 2007	Re: Building a Healing Power that also causes pain Ah, sorry, I wasn't being clear at first. I do want it to heal enemies it's used on if they are damaged. I put "healing" in quotes when I explained that the most tactical use of it would probably be to target an undamaged enemy, which wouldn't heal them. (As they're already at full HP.)