Re: Force field questions
 

I think we're meant to assume that it has been built into the modifiers that do it. For example, if Requires Concentrate without also adding Switchable meant that you were always concentrating on that ability and could never do anything else - like eat, fight, read a book, sleep, etc. - it would surely be worth a lot more. If an Accessibility without also adding Switchable meant that you could never actually go anywhere where the power became unavailable, because it can't be switched off... you see what I mean.

Re: Force field questions
 

That it hasn't been built into those modifiers is apparent from the fact that they are worth the same whether they are applied to a trait which is already switchable or one that isn't. The argument made for Requires Concentrate could just as easily be used as justification for denying that modifier to non-switchable traits. My thought is that that is actually more fair than giving the non-switchable traits extra functionality for the same discount.

I'm getting a sense of deja-vu... Didn't we go over this before? Maybe in that ATR thread?

Re: Force field questions
 

That feels wrong... Costs 1/Fatigue use would end up being a net enhancement.

Re: Force field questions
 

Well, really, I'd argue that just means that Switchable by itself for certain traits, such as DR perhaps, should be +/-0% in the first place.

Re: Force field questions
 

In the case of Requires Concentrate or Requires Ready, the relevant text is this:

"Normally, only switchable advantages that would otherwise stay on without an active effort can have these limitations. A passive ability without definite activation conditions (e.g., Empathy) can also take them; if so, it requires the maneuver in question to use" (Powers, p. 112).

Further, under the discussion of what makes something Always On or Switchable, one of the criteria for an Always On ability is that it does NOT have "Active Defense, All-Out, Emergencies Only, Fickle, Reflexive, Requires Attribute Roll, Requires Concentrate or Ready, Switchable, Trigger, Unreliable, or Usually On" (Powers, p. 153).

This suggests that an ability with Requires Concentrate or Requires Ready CANNOT be Always On, and must be Switchable (or Transient) instead.

Interestingly, Costs Fatigue is NOT on the above list, but something like DR with Costs Fatigue might be built as DR 10 (Force field, +20%; Requires Ready, -10%, Costs Fatigue 2, -10%) [50]. The DR is NOT Always On; it requires a moment of preparation to turn it on, but then it stays on as long as you feed it FP...2 FP for the first minute and 1 FP thereafter.

I think this has to be how it works...it doesn't make sense otherwise, and it does appear to be covered in the RAW.

Mark

Re: Force field questions
 

Are you saying that if only Costs Fatigue was taken on the DR, the DR would remain Always On and the character would shortly die from FP and then HP loss?

Re: Force field questions
 

Another bit of text that might matter here is that one of the conditions for a Transient ability is if "one of its modifiers...specifies "uses" of finite duration" (Powers, p. 153).

In fact, perhaps the key to this discussion is that the abilities we're talking about are NOT Switchable...they're TRANSIENT.

Look at it this way...Switchable is an enhancement because have a tremendous amount of control over how long the ability stays on. Yes, if you're knocked out, it goes off. But normally, you can turn on the ability and even forget about it stays on as long as you like. But Requires Concentrate usually means you can only keep the ability on for a few seconds or a few minutes. Then it turns off whether you want it to or not. Same thing with Costs Fatigue. Each use (which costs a certain amount of FP) lasts one minute (or one second)--a use of finite duration. (Same thing for Requires Concentrate...each "use" has a finite duration of one second.)

So you would actually NOT build DR with Switchable...it shouldn't be Switchable because it's either always on OR normally off and only turned on for a little while (Active Defense, etc.).

I suppose we should get a ruling on this from Kromm or someone, though. And then it should go in the FAQ, since the issue does seem to keep popping up.

Mark

Re: Force field questions
 

We must have posted at the same time...I think the solution might be that any ability with Costs Fatigue CANNOT be Always On and must be either Switchable or Transient. If it is already switchable (like Alternate Form) then Costs Fatigue limits how long it stays Switchable. If it's a passive ability like DR, Costs Fatigue makes it a Transient ability because you can only keep it on for a while and then it shuts off automatically...if nothing else, you'll pass out and that shuts it off.

You don't have DR, Switchable, Active Defense...you just have DR, Active Defense. So I think DR, Costs Fatigue or DR, Requires Concentrate would work the same way.

Mark

Re: Force field questions
 

Fire up the old Way Back Machine, Sherman, and travel with me to the ancient times of 2007, when Kromm said:

One imagines that Enhancements and Limitations like "Active Defense, All-Out, Emergencies Only, Fickle, Reflexive, Requires Attribute Roll, Requires Concentrate or Ready, ... Trigger, Unreliable, or Usually On" would also do the trick.

Re: Force field questions
 

Thanks for posting this. I think it answers the question.

I think this should be added to the FAQ, since the question keeps coming up every once in a while.