[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by Plane

True, I think the problem is that you can just layer low damage attacks to add up to a big damage one.

That's not an issue from what I can tell. Shooting someone with sticky bombs over and over that they must spend ready maneuvers to remove or explode when they take damage does have a huge cost of time. RoF is more expensive and doesn't have the time constraint. I really want to make that obvious; You are spending multiple actions doing nothing at the moment and waiting for something to activate them later. If that is damage, then no one in the party can damage the target. And nothing is stopping an enemy from running off normally (now, taking advantage of brainless zombies, obsessive minions, slave mentality'd elementals, etc. is fine, their fault for not trying to survive). You are spending +50% on an attack that requires a skill roll to hit, them to fail a defense roll, and for the attack to hit in a place where it can actually be useful multiple times to do something.

Honestly, I find Delay most useful for doing things out of combat with. And that requires correct skill use elsewhere (Stealth comes to mind) to pull this off without issue.

Originally Posted by Plane

If there isn't something like this then it ignores the "way to neutralize it" requirement that Delay has. You can't reasonable neutralize an attack you don't even KNOW about.

I absolutely agree. That would be lumped in with how to remove it. The above sticky bombs would likely feel similar to a No Wounding crushing attack and stick out.

Originally Posted by Plane

But you'd need to RP how they actually know what the attack will do, and sneak that medicine without the master becoming aware and triggering it before you could take the pill.

I was also assuming that;
A) The master told them they are looming a 'do or die' over their head.
B) They can likely feel the curse in some manner.
C) The master didn't take Unusual Background and thus you might be able to research this kind of curse to find out it has such a simple solution.

And you're right, you'd have to RP it! Sounds like a fun session ;)

Originally Posted by Plane

Whereas if someone buys No Signature -25% it's just "a cookie materializes 100 yards away, nobody knows where it came from" but there should still be an actual cookie so people know something weird is going on.

Yes, but the main benefit is being able to make the cookie ahead of time, then carry it around and/or put it with other cookies.

Originally Posted by Plane

if the requirement is "someone must eat my cookie but it will ignore DR" (I would price this like scent-based -20% and apply a 'must taste too' limit -20% total -40%, should be cheaper)

I'd just use Blood Agent. They are putting the attack into their mouth, it's no different than wrapping your lips around a barrel.

Originally Posted by Plane

B202's description of those two gives a "severe threats" bonus to interrogation and a "display of strength of supernatural powers" bonus to intimidation, so what ultimately determines if someone cooperates is their IQ/Will/Fearlessness chain.

Even in the case of "Unfaceable" (won't fail the will check) it should still be possible to intellectually choose to cooperate ("I am not afraid to die, but I value my life")

I agree with all of this. The second part is extremely important; If you aren't succeeding your Intimidation checks, then they are doing what you want out of their own logic and wants instead of out of fear. Tyrants who can't inspire fear never live for long. And dead masters can't trigger death buttons.

Originally Posted by Plane

The x10 for Variable Enhancement is after all probably based on Cosmic Powers' cost for slots. Although weirdly it doesn't have the 'one second per ability' requirement baked in.

Which I am personally glad for, it would be so annoying to do if it did. Modular Abilities are just weirdly built IMHO.

Originally Posted by Plane

I forgot: using "Alternative Enhancements" it's 1/5 cost (sort of like +20%) to have two you can switch between, so that might be +60% to specify two triggers.

But only one of the triggers is 'taking damage' unless you're doing a complicated process of math to get triggers at certain ladders to never lose anything. Which I'm fine with but would likely ask the character to have some math skill to justify it.

Originally Posted by Plane

I don't know how to fairly compare it to these though: a big advance to delay is you can prep your allies at close range in a safe place, and then not need to go out into danger with them (or use up your attack maneuver to hit them with heal beams) to keep their HP up during deadly battle.

Denying the party a unit is never a safe move in RP ;) And if this is an NPC doing it... then cool, the PCs either paid the money to get the NPC to help them or paid points for an Ally/Patron willing to help them in this way instead of in the fray of things.

Originally Posted by Plane

I wonder how easy the countermeasure needs to be though, and if maybe we should have versatile values depending on that (maybe somehow related to 'can be stolen' gadget limitations?)

Cyclic seems to have a good rule of thumb, I'd likely do something similar.