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Old 11-07-2020, 06:29 PM   #1
FishDude
 
Join Date: May 2014
Default Line-of-sight based Static?

I'm trying to stat an advantage that disables magical effects from working as long as they happen within the user's line of sight. This is the best I've been able come up with:

Static (Magic) (Area Effect, +50%; Increased Range, LOS, +90%) [72]

My question is this: Is it allowed to combine Area Effect with any type of Increased Range? My gut feeling is that it isn't, since you normally increase the "range" of an Area Effect just by buying more levels of Area Effect. On the other hand, I don't see any other way to model this, unless there's some method I'm not familiar with to modify the shape of an Area Effect.

Also, how does the Ranged enhancement tie into this? Would Ranged + Cone be a better way of creating this type of ability? I don't really understand how Ranged would even work on Static without Area Effect.
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Old 11-07-2020, 06:37 PM   #2
Anaraxes
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

You need to have a range (Ranged) before you can increase it (Increase Range). So, both. Area Effect increases the area you can affect. You'd need it, for example, to shut down a whole group at range. Without AE, you'd affect one target, no matter how many are in your LOS. Increased Range increases the distance from your location at which you can put your area of Static. If you want to simultaneously affect everyone in your field of vision (180 degrees, from you out for a few miles), you'd need a huge AE.

Last edited by Anaraxes; 11-07-2020 at 06:41 PM.
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Old 11-07-2020, 07:42 PM   #3
Donny Brook
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

I'd go with Ranged, Cone, and Sense-based (Reversed, vision) if he has to see what gets affected.
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Old 11-07-2020, 08:06 PM   #4
JulianLW
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

This thread on the "Mundanity" trait from I.O.U. might be of interest to the OP.

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=169722
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Old 11-07-2020, 09:23 PM   #5
FishDude
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

Thanks for the input everyone - I want the advantage to be something that's passively "always on" as opposed to something that needs to be used consciously, so I don't think the Ranged enhancement is the answer here. That means it won't be possible to have the ability truly work by line of sight, so I think the solution is a fairly high amount of Area Effect with Vision-Based (Reversed) like so:

Static (Magic) (Area Effect, 16 Yards, +250%; Vision-Based, Reversed, -20%) [99]

This will prevent the ability from functioning on entities that use magic from a distance in a wide-open space, but in most scenarios it should work fine. It leaves one final question, though: Does it still always protect yourself and anything you're wearing/carrying?
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Old 11-07-2020, 09:33 PM   #6
kirbwarrior
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

Quote:
Originally Posted by FishDude View Post
Thanks for the input everyone - I want the advantage to be something that's passively "always on" as opposed to something that needs to be used consciously, so I don't think the Ranged enhancement is the answer here. That means it won't be possible to have the ability truly work by line of sight, so I think the solution is a fairly high amount of Area Effect with Vision-Based (Reversed) like so:

Static (Magic) (Area Effect, 16 Yards, +250%; Vision-Based, Reversed, -20%) [99]

This will prevent the ability from functioning on entities that use magic from a distance in a wide-open space, but in most scenarios it should work fine. It leaves one final question, though: Does it still always protect yourself and anything you're wearing/carrying?
That build looks good. If you really wanted, you could makes a modfied AE that has a range of your sight. Considering that LOS is +70% on something with 10 or less range, that's similar to x200 range increase in price, so you could use 7 levels of AE (or 8 if you only double) to get that same 'range' of AE:LOS for +350% and that will include Sense Based: Vision (Reversed) as per Psionic Powers.

Is that too powerful? Ehh. Mana Damper might be cheaper.

If you want it to also affect your stuff always, then I'd either shrink Vision-Based to maybe -10% or add an enhancement to the new version (maybe +20?%).
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While I do not think that GURPS is perfect I do think that it is more balanced than what I am likely to create by GM fiat.
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Old 11-07-2020, 10:43 PM   #7
Donny Brook
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

Quote:
Originally Posted by FishDude View Post
Thanks for the input everyone - I want the advantage to be something that's passively "always on" as opposed to something that needs to be used consciously, so I don't think the Ranged enhancement is the answer here. That means it won't be possible to have the ability truly work by line of sight, so I think the solution is a fairly high amount of Area Effect with Vision-Based (Reversed) like so:

Static (Magic) (Area Effect, 16 Yards, +250%; Vision-Based, Reversed, -20%) [99]

This will prevent the ability from functioning on entities that use magic from a distance in a wide-open space, but in most scenarios it should work fine. It leaves one final question, though: Does it still always protect yourself and anything you're wearing/carrying?

Static is always on by default, and Ranged specifically mentions Psi Static.
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Old 11-08-2020, 12:52 AM   #8
transmetahuman
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

If you only want magical effects nulled while the subjects are in his view, becoming available again was soon as he looks the other way (but ongoing transitory effects need to be recreated) add the Interruption limitation from Psionic Powers.
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Old 11-10-2020, 03:30 PM   #9
Plane
 
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Default Re: Line-of-sight based Static?

Quote:
Originally Posted by FishDude View Post
I don't really understand how Ranged would even work on Static without Area Effect.
A single target you hit (rather than all things in a given space) enjoying the usual effects you would have.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FishDude View Post
one final question, though: Does it still always protect yourself and anything you're wearing/carrying?

I'm led to think no based on how the "Projection" technique for the Screaming power (PP25) is worded:
You can “throw” your scream so that it is centered on a distant point instead of yourself.
If you are not in the area of effect, you are not protected!
I would hypothesize that in that unprotected scenario that the "cannot use them while screaming" condition might no longer apply, but I'm not sure...

P98 "can never possess the abilities or Talent of any power you can negate" seems to have been tweaked here... it seems like you CAN possess them, but you just wouldn't be able to use them while under the effect of static...

Except that the Discriminatory enhancement persists in chiding "you still can’t possess powers you can negate)" so it ISN'T about being affected by the static, but rather something built into USING it.

Which means you either need to entirely switch it off, or require doing something to activate it (like pay FP or concentrate) to have a "not using" scenario which would allow the use of psi powers.

Meaning that PP25 overrides P98... I think?

If you were creating a new center for a separate AE then I would expect it to read "in addition to" rather than "instead of".

This might be a special case though because this has "Requires Concentrate" which means it's not "Always On" by default anymore, as PP17 mentions for Psi Static too:
Costs Fatigue and Requires Concentrate are an inexpensive alternative to Switchable
I think it requires checking back to Powers. Initially from P11, I thought no...
Using an ability that can’t be activated again until its duration expires (e.g., Neutralize with the Power Theft enhancement, or almost anything with the Ranged enhancement) means that none of the abilities are available for the duration.
P105 seems like maybe yes, but the end phrase isn't 100% clear since it implies some consent...
Ranged doesn’t prevent an advantage from working the usual way (in an area around the user or by touch, as appropriate) when the wielder wishes.
Firstly this isn't clear if it means "in addition to the range you're using" or "instead of the range" (ie just avoiding the need to roll by contact-targeting auto-hit). You need to know if you can form one or two radii.

For always-on (or uncontrollable) the "usual way" is clearly not "when the user wishes" (because they can't turn it off) so you would want to know whether or not Ranged gives some means of turning it off or not.

With no explicit answer for Static I think it would be good to look at how abilities listed alongside it on P105 are answered for, namely Mana Enhancer and Mana Damper.

P165 mentions switchable Mana Damper functions like an emanation (you use a ready maneuver to attack) I guess with an infinite duration by default.

I think the answer requires looking back to Basic Set perhaps...

B72 (Obscure)
"You produce your obscuring effect at a distant point rather than around your body."
B72 (Ranged +50%)
"Unlike the usual Ranged enhancement, this modifier lets you use your ability again before its duration has expired"
B107 (Ranged +40%)
"you cannot use the ability again until all existing effects have worn off"
Obscure is not "Always On" by default though, and I don't know if it would be legal to take Ranged + Always On together...

I guess it would be with THIS version since the +50% allows multiple incarnations...

But maybe not if you took the +40% version (1 smoke grenade at a time) if that were allowed?

Probably the best balance is if it is an Always-On ability (Mana Damper, Mana Enhancer or Static) that you require the +50% version, which would allow your own use to coexist with a projected one.

Otherwise I think you just wouldn't be able to use the normal +40% enhancement since the infinity-duration of your always-on ability gets around it?

Screaming+Projection would get around that by using Requires Concentrate to get pseudo-switchability. Basically it seems like how this works if since your ability is off by default, you can sort of do a "Selective Concentrate" where instead of your concentrate activating your AE, it activates a ranged AE... which I guess might mean you would need Compartmentalized Mind (two concentrates per second) to be able to maintain both?

I like the idea of someone being able to throw many psi-static grenades but I think that would definitely require the +50% version floated over from Obscure, if there are any grounds for that.

Otherwise I think you'd need Affliction (Advantage: Static) or Innate Attack (Symptoms: Static) and shoot people, but need them to fail a resist or take a certain amount of injury.

Shooting nearby objects (like a floor or wall) is an interesting workaround, but in that case the AE won't move around with the people you're wanting to influence so it's mostly good if they need to stay in place, like they're locked in a room or on a nice boat.
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