Maledictions w/ No die roll required - is this legal?

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

From GURPS Psionic Campaigns (p. 26):

Even resisted abilities may have this version of Cosmic. However, when using them, the psi must still roll against the controlling attribute (or skill) to determine his margin of success for the Quick Contest. If he fails the roll, the ability still works, but treat his margin of success as 0.

So, the user can decline to roll and just go with zero if he wants, right? And then the Fixed Duration takes over? And without Fixed Duration, for wanted afflictions the victim can still roll to beat their Will and get that much duration?

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

So, the user can decline to roll and just go with zero if he wants, right? And then the Fixed Duration takes over?

It's still a Contest, meaning that whatever your MoS, the defender has the chance to tie or beat it.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

It's still a Contest, meaning that whatever your MoS, the defender has the chance to tie or beat it.

Unless you use the beneficial afflictions rule from powers, where the "victim" can decline to roll

[PK]

For a beneficial Affliction, the combination of Cosmic (NDRR) and Fixed Duration will accomplish the result of, "I use my ability and it buffs my friend for X minutes," yes.

But just to be clear, for a standard, hostile Affliction, the combination of the two means that if the attacker either fails his roll or declines to roll, his MOS is treated as 0, which means that the victim is very likely to defend successfully against it. If the victim still manages to fail, the ability afflicts him for a fixed duration of X minutes, regardless of the actual margin of victory.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

For a beneficial Affliction, the combination of Cosmic (NDRR) and Fixed Duration will accomplish the result of, "I use my ability and it buffs my friend for X minutes," yes.

But just to be clear, for a standard, hostile Affliction, the combination of the two means that if the attacker either fails his roll or declines to roll, his MOS is treated as 0, which means that the victim is very likely to defend successfully against it. If the victim still manages to fail, the ability afflicts him for a fixed duration of X minutes, regardless of the actual margin of victory.

There is a way, but it's extremely expensive:
You need Malediction, bundled with Cosmic, no rule of 16, with enough will that on a 18, you, you still get 18 MoS, so anyone with an HT under 20 gets affected automatically

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

There is a way, but it's extremely expensive:
You need Malediction, bundled with Cosmic, no rule of 16, with enough will that on a 18, you, you still get 18 MoS, so anyone with an HT under 20 gets affected automatically

I don't think that works, if the attacker rolls 18, he failed, in which case he either didn't succeed or with Cosmic (NDRR) succeeded with a MOS of 0.

Cosmic: no rule of 16, means the rule of 16 doesn't apply, but that doesn't mean 17-18 aren't failures.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

I don't think that works, if the attacker rolls 18, he failed, in which case he either didn't succeed or with Cosmic (NDRR) succeeded with a MOS of 0.

Cosmic: no rule of 16, means the rule of 16 doesn't apply, but that doesn't mean 17-18 aren't failures.

It should depend on if it is an attack with resistance or a quick contest. Attacks fail on 17-18, but quick contests don't.

ETA: Well, crap. I can't find what's what now. There's supposed to be some circumstance where auto-fails don't apply but hanged if I can locate them.