Can you have Insubstantiality with "Partial Change" and "Always On"?

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Hellboy

Isn't the ability to walk through walls already sort of ignoring DR to some degree?

No.

Waking through walls resembles the permiation advantage, you are not puncturing the barrier, you are ignoring it with regular movement. Putting your hand inside singing solid and then making it solid seems to have a lot of room for disastrous effect, if even possible (your power may prevent you from doing so to avoid destroying your feet because you misjudged where the ground was)- if you debate with your gm about the ability to become solid inside solid objects don't cry when you find yourself in a magically backed out room and destroy one of your limbs. Further the brain is soft, but not as soft as air, phasing in inside it could be harmful.

Now, assuming that the character does not already have an innate attack to do so and wants to try it power stunting your intangibility to do DR ignoring damage seems legit (just like power stunting it for getting a bonus on lockpicking), but if they are doing it all the time they should buy the innate attack.

[Anthony]

In general, 'always on' means the power always behaves in exactly the same way and you can't choose any details of how it behaves. Thus, partial change means that whatever parts were substantial would always be substantial, whatever parts are insubstantial are always insubstantial.

What you might want is Usually On.

[sir_pudding]

Insubstantiality with Partial Change and always on might be a good start on the Phantom Limb, though.

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

I'd peg the limitation to transform only a single hand, and always the same one, insubstantial at -60%. You'd still need Partial Change, for +20%, and having it permanently be in that state, no switching, would be Always On, for -50%. So, net -90%, capped at -80%, for 16 points. I think that's about right. Note that with this setup, it's pretty much pointless to buy Can Carry Objects or the 100% version of Partial Change, since those are all about taking objects with you when you switch substantial states, and with this build, there's no switching.

There's also the fact that you've got the disadvantages of One Arm in basically all cases, so as a metatrait 'Ghost Hand' is gonna work out to 1 point.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

There's also the fact that you've got the disadvantages of One Arm in basically all cases, so as a metatrait 'Ghost Hand' is gonna work out to 1 point.

Good point, although I think I'd slap a mitigator on One Hand as well, "Not when rest of body is insubstantial/everything is substantial", to cover things like someone else casting "Ghost Body" on the character, or them being in an area of effect that forces ghostly things material. Offhand, I'd price that at -50%, so the meta-trait would end up at 9 points.

[sir_pudding]

If you want an attack that ignores DR you need to pay for an attack that ignores DR.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

If you want an attack that ignores DR you need to pay for an attack that ignores DR.

Yes, this. Or, at the very least, you've got to use a stunt and use an ability at default. No free lunches!

[spacemonkey]

Originally Posted by Hellboy

Does this mean you would not let insubstantial step through innate attack wall?

Or a very large area effect force field DR?

Forgot about stunts, sounds like a good way to work it.

If the innate attack wall doesn't have affects insubstantial, then it normally wouldn't impede. It's up to the GM tho, per the last sentence of the insubstantial description, whether or not a certain type of energy or force field would be impenetrable, based on what type of insubstantial the player chose out of those available in his game. If the only type of insubstantial available is "superspeed vibration" then any energy attack or field may be ruled effective. A "tuned to a different dimension" option may only be blocked by multidimensional effects.

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Hellboy

Does this mean you would not let insubstantial step through innate attack wall?

Or a very large area effect force field DR?

Forgot about stunts, sounds like a good way to work it.

Assuming the wall in question lacks affect's insubstantial.

Step through- yes.
Run through- yes.
Punch through while turning solid immediately on the other side presumably INSIDE a solid object- no.

If you want to spend your turn going through a large area barrier, then turn your power off to become completely solid (and a valid target) on the other side so that you can slap someone with your NEXT action that's fine.

If you want to carefully position your spectral arm so that your hand is inside the airspace between a person wearing bulky armour and then turn your hand solid (making it a valid target, and also making you able to be dragged along or twisted) and then trying to do any sort of reasonable damage with a '0 inch punch'; also fine.

If you want to make a DR ignoring attack that is a singular unit and takes 0 time to set up; stunt it or buy an innate attack.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Hellboy

Does this mean you would not let insubstantial step through innate attack wall?

You can take a move or step to pass through a wall, then make an attack on the other side of the wall. You cannot simply make an attack through the wall. If you're small enough to get inside your target's armor, sure, you can phase through their armor and attack them from inside of it. If not, not without the appropriate attack advantage.