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Old 04-03-2019, 12:19 PM   #1
kdtipa
 
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Default Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

Hi all. I'm trying to create a breath weapon attack for a small dragon that is a bit like spitting a glob of burning napalm. The dragon would be the size of a large cat or small dog (not a toy dog). The default stats for an innate attack include a 1/2d range of 10 yards, and a max range of 100 yards. But for a glob of burning napalm-like-substance, the damage has nothing to do with kinetic energy that reduces over distance traveled.

My next step was looking at the reduced range limitation. My goal was to get the range of the attack to 5 yards with no 1/2d range. But it specifically says in the rules you can't reduce max range separate from 1/2d range. I'm a GM that usually just invokes GM privilege and makes a call, but I'm wondering what the right way to do this would be with the actual rules.

As things stand, I'm likely to ignore the stipulation that you can't reduce max range on its own and do something like...

1/2d 10 & max range 100
apply reduced range with divisor 2 for -10% cost
1/2d 5 & max range 50
apply reduced range with divisor 10, but only on max range for -15%
1/2d 5 & max range 5

total limitation value: -25%
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Old 04-03-2019, 12:26 PM   #2
ravenfish
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

I think the canonical method is to take Increased Range at half cost to increase Half Damage Range only (per Basic p.105) until it matches maximum range (and then increase or reduce the combined range as normal, if desired).
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Old 04-03-2019, 12:28 PM   #3
Nereidalbel
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

Increase Range (1/2d Only) is right there on Basic, p106. Just up your 1/2d to equal Max, and you have effectively removed the 1/2d. Then, you can increase/decrease max range to whatever you want.
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Old 04-03-2019, 12:45 PM   #4
kdtipa
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

That's counter-intuitive. Well... let's see...

1/2d 10 yards & max 100 yards
increased range x10 applied to 1/2d for +30%
1/2d 100 yards & max 100 yards
reduced range /10 applied to both for -30%
1/2d 10 yards & max 10 yards

net cost change: 0
range changes: none for 1/2d and 1/10 for max

If I make up an additional level of reduced range to change that last step...
reduced range /20 applied to both for -40%
1/2d 5 yards & max 5 yards

net cost change: -10%
range changes: half for 1/2d and 1/20 for max

Rules as written don't give me a way to get to a 5 yard range that has no 1/2d, and if I make up that 4th level of reduced range, it's a -10% limitation to reduce range from 100 yards to 5 yards. That seems off.

On the hex map, I picked 5 yards because the little dragon would have to move a fair amount more to position themselves to use it. A 10 yard range will cover a big chunk of the map and that's not what I'm looking for. And it does seem to me to be worth a lot more than 10% to drop from causing some damage at 100 yards (or full damage to 10 yards) to causing full damage at 5 yards.
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Old 04-03-2019, 12:50 PM   #5
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

Quote:
Originally Posted by kdtipa View Post
That's counter-intuitive. Well... let's see...

1/2d 10 yards & max 100 yards
increased range x10 applied to 1/2d for +30%
1/2d 100 yards & max 100 yards
reduced range /10 applied to both for -30%
1/2d 10 yards & max 10 yards

net cost change: 0
range changes: none for 1/2d and 1/10 for max

If I make up an additional level of reduced range to change that last step...
reduced range /20 applied to both for -40%
1/2d 5 yards & max 5 yards

net cost change: -10%
range changes: half for 1/2d and 1/20 for max
whoops... forgot that x10 increased range for only 1/2 d would be +15%. There's still no 4th level of reduced range. But if we include the cost fix and the made up level of reduced range, the result would be...

net cost change: -25%
range changes: half and max range brought to 5 yards.

That's the price I got with my ignoring of the "no reducing only max range".
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Old 04-03-2019, 04:46 PM   #6
Donny Brook
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

Quote:
a glob of burning napalm-like-substance, the damage has nothing to do with kinetic energy that reduces over distance traveled.
Maybe that calls for Followup.
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Old 04-03-2019, 08:30 PM   #7
Plane
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

Quote:
Originally Posted by kdtipa View Post
If I make up an additional level of reduced range to change that last step...
reduced range /20 applied to both for -40%
..
Rules as written don't give me a way to get to a 5 yard range.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kdtipa View Post
There's still no 4th level of reduced range. But if we include the cost fix and the made up level of reduced range
The 4th level essentially does exist, it just wasn't included in basic set.

You can find "Range is actually 5 yards" defined as a form of Nuisance Effect on top of a maxed-out Reduced Range 3.

It's on page 36 of GURPS Psionic Powers, and is another -10% just like you guessed.

I believe the "5 yards" assumes a minimum of 100 yards to start though, reducing from 10 or more to 5.

If it was some other ability with a shorter range (9 or less) then I don't think reducing to 5 would be worth as much.
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Old 04-04-2019, 04:42 AM   #8
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

That sounds more like a jet to me.
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Old 04-04-2019, 06:59 AM   #9
Varyon
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

Quote:
Originally Posted by kdtipa View Post
... for a glob of burning napalm-like-substance, the damage has nothing to do with kinetic energy that reduces over distance traveled.
There are some ways to justify having a 1/2D for such an attack, if you want one. Air resistance can cause the glob to shed mass as it travels, so there's less stuff to burn once you reach the target. If the attack isn't Cyclic, that means the fuel doesn't last long, so it may well burn up a sizable fraction of it en route to the target.
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Old 04-04-2019, 07:15 AM   #10
kdtipa
 
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Default Re: Innate Attack with No Half Damage Range

I planned on it being cyclic. A little ball of napalm that burns for three seconds.
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