[Powers] Leech with Area Effect?

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by naloth

I'm pretty sure it's Leech isn't intended to be an Area power. It's intended to allow you to take from one target at a time and only if you have successfully grappled or can win a quick contest (malediction) against that target. To do the damage field that also heals the user by RAW you should link and Innate Attack and Leech so that you can target one person in your area to recover from while the rest take damage as normal.

As a GM, I don't see the need to be quite this restrictive as long as you're applying normal countermeasures (DR, active defenses that seem reasonable, etc.). I don't see a problem with creating a Vampiric Field using Leech w/just Area, Emanation, and any armor penetrating modifiers you want.

Well, Leech can be combined with ranged and malediction to create a "I drain you" ranged spell. You can add Weaponized from Psi Powers to make it into a Leech Ray. Making it into a leech field would not require much more.

Remember, Leech with Malediction bypasses DR and active defenses already. Without Malediction, it's much cheaper, and since it's an area, it's hard to defend against it.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Well, Leech can be combined with ranged and malediction to create a "I drain you" ranged spell. You can add Weaponized from Psi Powers to make it into a Leech Ray. Making it into a leech field would not require much more.

I don't have Psi-Powers so I'm unfamiliar with the "Weaponized" enhancement; however, the problem with making Leech a field isn't that it's difficult. It's that you basically have to ignore one restrictions:
1) If it's not a malediction (contest) you have to have good contact (grapple) with the target.
2) It only works on 1 target at a time.

As a GM, you could ignore either or house rule that an Enhancement like Area overrides those limitations. Alternatively, could say that Cosmic +50% allows you to ignore a built-in restriction. None of this is hard, it's just into the realm of "does your GM allow it and how".

Remember, Leech with Malediction bypasses DR and active defenses already. Without Malediction, it's much cheaper, and since it's an area, it's hard to defend against it.

Meh, it's more considerably more expensive than an Innate Attack of the same damage using Area and Malediction and without malediction it shouldn't bypass DR or defenses making it pretty easy to defend against.

This comes up quite a bit and I just wonder what the point is. I certainly don't have a problem with allow it but it's really not that effective as a build. In general you can do whatever you're trying to accomplish better with an area Innate Attack linked to a target Leech attack.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by naloth

I don't have Psi-Powers so I'm unfamiliar with the "Weaponized" enhancement; however, the problem with making Leech a field isn't that it's difficult. It's that you basically have to ignore one restrictions:
1) If it's not a malediction (contest) you have to have good contact (grapple) with the target.
2) It only works on 1 target at a time.

As a GM, you could ignore either or house rule that an Enhancement like Area overrides those limitations.

Seeing as Area Effect lets you control more than one person with mind control, I'd say it does let it work on more than 1 target at a time.

Originally Posted by naloth

Meh, it's more considerably more expensive than an Innate Attack of the same damage using Area and Malediction and without malediction it shouldn't bypass DR or defenses making it pretty easy to defend against.

I agree, it shouldn't ignore DR, without enhancements.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Seeing as Area Effect lets you control more than one person with mind control, I'd say it does let it work on more than 1 target at a time.
I agree, it shouldn't ignore DR, without enhancements.

I would always require malediction for any use of leech that did not require contact. Much more in the spirit of the advantage

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

I would always require malediction for any use of leech that did not require contact. Much more in the spirit of the advantage

How so? This message is too short

[cccwebs]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

How so? This message is too short

Because Leech very specifically states that it requires Malediction to be used at range, thus any use of Leech that isn't by touch would be at range and require Malediction.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by cccwebs

Because Leech very specifically states that it requires Malediction to be used at range, thus any use of Leech that isn't by touch would be at range and require Malediction.

And emanation very specifically states it can't be used with "ranged attack modifiers". But we're arguing that letter of the advantage, I asked why it was against the spirit of the advantage.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by cccwebs

Because Leech very specifically states that it requires Malediction to be used at range, thus any use of Leech that isn't by touch would be at range and require Malediction.

It seems obvious to me that AE is substituting for Ranged in such a build. RPK supported the idea some years ago, in this old thread about Psychic Vampirism.