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Old 09-17-2018, 07:15 PM   #1
Zibani
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Default Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

As per the title. A player in my game wants to make a superhero Character can leave a solid wake behind them like the Tron Lightcycle, but long-exposure film appearance rather than glowing neon wall. He wants the wake to be static, but also obstruct incoming mass (e.g. if he runs across a street whilst leaving a trail, it would stop a car or if he put someone in a head lock with it active, they remain in a headlock). The wall should be breakable by damage, but not moved.
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Old 09-17-2018, 07:36 PM   #2
Anaraxes
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

Walls are usually Innate Attacks with the Wall Enhancement -- choosing Rigid, in this case, to make it a material thing.

The hardest part is coming up with a Limitation value for "only in hexes I just moved through". That seems pretty significant though, as you lose most of the utility of ranged placement and orientation. It's hard to just seal off tunnels (the runner still has to leave a gap to squeeze by at the wall, unless you want to let him spend some extra time trying to paint a straight line with a metaphorical brush down his spine, backing all the way against the tunnel/corridor), or drop walls between the snipers and the party. Something around -60%, maybe.

There's also a problem with choosing Maneuvers, at least strictly going by RAW. To activate your IA, you'd need an Attack. To run at speed, you'd need Move. I'd be inclined to let it slide with an Selective Link to the Move (+10%), and just stipulate that this particular wall attack can only be activated with a Move, but not by regular means (an Attack). Someone might well have a better idea, though.

The character probably wants some Enhanced Move if he wants to zip like a lightcycle.
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Old 09-17-2018, 09:05 PM   #3
Refplace
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

Innate Attack with Area Effect, Emanation, Persistant, and Wall is a decent method. Might be considered abusive when combined with high move, depends on GM and setting.
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Old 09-17-2018, 09:21 PM   #4
Kelly Pedersen
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

I agree that Innate Attack with Wall is the way to go, but I don't think you need to fuss about with Link to get this to activate when you move. Instead, I'd apply the Aura enhancement to it. That will make it stay on automatically, and generate the wall every turn. I'd throw on a -25% limitation to limit the wall to only hexes you actually passed through, but you'd have to buy the wall with sufficient Area Effect to make the size of the wall match your Move. So, if you have Move 6, you'd want to put one level of Area Effect on the ability, because that creates a 6-yard-long wall.

So, your writeup would look something like this:

Energy Barrier Wall
24.5 points/level

Activating this ability requires a Ready action. Once turned on, you leave a barrier behind you as you move, composed of glowing, solid force. This barrier has DR 6 and 1 HP per level. It can leave a trail up to 6 yards long - if you travel faster than that, the extra distance is not covered. See Extended Energy Barrier Wall for a wall that will stretch further.

Statistics: Crushing Attack 2d (Area Effect 1, 2 yards, +50%; Aura, +80%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Accessibility: Only creates wall in hexes you move through, -25%; Persistent, +40%; Wall, Rigid, +30%) [24.5]. Each additional level adds 2d to the Crushing Attack.

Extended Energy Barrier Wall: As above, but add levels of the Area Effect enhancement - each level added increases the cost per level by 5 points, and doubles the length the wall can be generated with a single turn of movement.
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Old 09-17-2018, 11:43 PM   #5
Plane
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

Is it possible to design a smaller wall than 1x6? I think there was a 1-yard Area Effect that only cost +25%. If Aura allows 1 free attack per second, perhaps Aura could be bought multiply times and each 80% gives 1 free attack per second? Aura +240% representing activation 6 times per second, allowing you to occupy all 6 hexes as you pass through them.
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Old 09-18-2018, 06:39 AM   #6
Anaraxes
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

I like the Aura build. Walls have to have Persistent, so they'll naturally stick around as you move.

There's a quibble there that the Aura normally protects the character causing it. That's not really true of a Tron lightcycle. And you know someone is going to want to claim cover DR from their own wall Aura.
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Old 09-18-2018, 08:14 AM   #7
Edges
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

The "headlock" comment by the OP makes me think this needs to be linked with a melee Binding or something.
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Old 09-18-2018, 08:17 AM   #8
Kelly Pedersen
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plane View Post
Is it possible to design a smaller wall than 1x6? I think there was a 1-yard Area Effect that only cost +25%.
I don't recall if the 1-yard Area Effect for +25% is official or not, but that's what I'd use, yes. That produces a 3-yard-long wall.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plane
If Aura allows 1 free attack per second, perhaps Aura could be bought multiply times and each 80% gives 1 free attack per second? Aura +240% representing activation 6 times per second, allowing you to occupy all 6 hexes as you pass through them.
I wouldn't use this build, however, because it's more expensive than buying additional levels of Area Effect, and less effective. Also, I question the logic of Aura being "1 free attack per second" - Aura lets you attack multiple times per second (indeed, theoretically infinite times per second), since it "attacks" anyone who comes into range, no matter how many people do so.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
There's a quibble there that the Aura normally protects the character causing it. That's not really true of a Tron lightcycle. And you know someone is going to want to claim cover DR from their own wall Aura.
That's a good point, actually. To cover the fact that the wall doesn't really form until you leave a hex, I think I'd increase the limitation I suggested above, from -25% to -50%. You still can take cover behind your own wall, so it's not the -100% of "normal effect of the advantage is completely removed", but having to move out then double-back to hide behind your wall is still inconvenient.
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Old 09-18-2018, 09:49 AM   #9
Culture20
 
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Default Re: Help build a superhero whose Power is the Tron Lightcycle Wall effect.

I assume not right-angles like on the game grid?
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