Aura made of Objects

[DevoutGuardsman]

This is an interesting concept that occurred to me a while back that I've been struggling to implement effectively, so I thought I'd ask the more experienced GURPS GMs how they might go about it.

In brief:

1. The ability is an Innate Attack that affects the hexes directly surrounding the user, for the price of 2 FP. This is pretty simply done with Aura, Melee Attack C, and Area Effect (2 yards).
2. The Aura summons a set of spectral swords (going with 3 for simplicity). These swords are capable of parrying attacks the user is aware of and have very limited durability (HP 1, DR 6, 1 lb).
3. The swords last for one minute, or until destroyed. They can be targeted like any held weapon, and broken when parrying sufficiently heavy weapons.
4. Enemies within the aura's range don't get hit by every sword, just one. The swords could optionally require a roll to hit, as well.
5. The swords can each parry one attack made at themselves with no penalty, but suffer the usual -4 for every attack made against them beyond the first. They can also protect the user, following the same restrictions.

Anyone have any ideas? I've had a go at making it as an Aura Telekinesis AoE with a limited number of 'shots', though that's screwing around with the conventional applications of Enhancements and Limitations so much I'm very reluctant to employ it.

EDIT: The ability is actually tied into two others, but given this is a hard enough problem on its own, I'm going to leave those alone for now.

EDIT2: This is a draft version I came up with further down the page:
Sword Aura, 1d+3 Cutting Attack: Costs 1 FP per Sword, -10%; Aura, +80%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Area Effect, 2 Yards, +50%; Cosmic, Can Parry Attacks, +5%; Breakable, DR 6, 12 HP, 1 lb, -10%; SM-4, -15%; Persistent, +40%; Extended Duration, 3x, +20%; Blockable, -10%. [30]

[Refplace]

The multiple Parry thing is the tough part here.
You could go for a Power Parry and use that with your Aura.
Then buy a Technique to counter the penalty for multiple Parries.

Another way would be ATR or Allies to parry for you.

[DevoutGuardsman]

Originally Posted by Refplace

The multiple Parry thing is the tough part here.
You could go for a Power Parry and use that with your Aura.
Then buy a Technique to counter the penalty for multiple Parries.

Another way would be ATR or Allies to parry for you.

I thought about making the Telekinesis Independent, with a Limitation on the Independence that states they can only do a single task (which is hover around the user and Parry attacks against themselves or the user). Offloads the concentration and should allow for Parries. That'd be the defensive part, of course. A more conventional Linked Aura would cover the offensive part.

That said, Power Parries seem perfectly reasonable. Just need to make the Aura destructible by conventional means; that's really got me stumped. Gadget Limitations, perhaps?

[sir_pudding]

Have you considered just making it a wall? That would make it destructible. Having to make a Parry in order to be an effective wall is a limitation.

[DevoutGuardsman]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Have you considered just making it a wall? That would make it destructible. Having to make a Parry in order to be an effective wall is a limitation.

Wall's a bit limited on this front. One of the alternate abilities does allow the Aura to be switched to a Wall, though that's something else entirely.

If I could make the Wall permeable, specify that it can Parry, doesn't take damage on a successful Parry, and doesn't provide DR for the user... But then it's not really a Wall, is it?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by DevoutGuardsman

If I could make the Wall permeable, specify that it can Parry, doesn't take damage on a successful Parry, and doesn't provide DR for the user... But then it's not really a Wall, is it?

It's still a big mass of damaging stuff that can take damage.

I don't see why it shouldn't provide DR or be immune to taking damage when it parries though.

[DevoutGuardsman]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It's still a big mass of damaging stuff that can take damage.

I don't see why it shouldn't provide DR or be immune to taking damage when it parries though.

To both deal and take damage it'd have to be 2 Walls, as far as I'm aware? One permeable, one rigid? Doesn't quite avoid the swords being individual objects as well: a 3 HP wall would work fine, so long as it can only take 1 HP damage each time it gets hit.

The key distinction is that the swords aren't actually ablating damage: they're functioning very similarly to the dancing weapon imbuement. They can parry, attack, and generally follow the user around and be a nuisance (and ammunition for another Innate Attack; again, different topic). Hence the need to parry like a normal sword would.

A very rough prototype would be something like this?
Sword Aura, 1d+3 Cutting Attack: Costs 1 FP per Sword, -10%; Aura, +80%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Area Effect, 2 Yards, +50%; Cosmic, Can Parry Attacks, +5%*; Breakable, DR 6, 12 HP, 1 lb, -10%**; SM-4, -15%**; Persistent, +40%; Extended Duration, 3x, +20%; Blockable, -10%. [30]

*Since Auras normally can't claim that -5% for not being able to Parry, this is basically just reversing that effect for an equivalent cost. Probably could be jacked up a lot.
**Gadget Limitations to model the fact they're distinct objects. Doesn't get the extra -15% for being irreparable since they come back when the ability is recast, and the stats are just modelled on a broadsword of equivalent weight. They could get additional Limitations for being very frail (1-2 HP). Maths wise, I could calculate based on HP (ie, 12 HP is worth 24 points, 1 HP is worth 2 points, therefore about -8% Limitation, since it's a Limitation of a Limitation).

The 'FP per Sword' is used for another Innate Attack which consumes Swords from the Aura as ammunition.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Having to make a Parry in order to be an effective wall is a limitation.

There is something inherently amusing to me about "Wall, Requires Skill Roll (to be a wall)". Maybe that's just a hangover from the IQ 0 Golem and rocks with Slave Mentality thread.

This might be a job for Kromm's Extra Arm (Shield Mount) build. We're not concerned about TK here, and it's a sword rather than a shield, but the Extra Arm does give you an extra Parry, and No Signature will make it invisible so you don't have to worry about it spoiling the image of the whirling cloud of swords. You don't need another Maneuver (a la ATR or Compartmentalized Mind) to do multiple Parries in one turn. (A second turn ought to give you a second, parallel Parry count, if that were the goal.)

[DevoutGuardsman]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

This might be a job for Kromm's Extra Arm (Shield Mount) build. We're not concerned about TK here, and it's a sword rather than a shield, but the Extra Arm does give you an extra Parry, and No Signature will make it invisible so you don't have to worry about it spoiling the image of the whirling cloud of swords. You don't need another Maneuver (a la ATR or Compartmentalized Mind) to do multiple Parries in one turn. (A second turn ought to give you a second, parallel Parry count, if that were the goal.)

Possibly throw in Extra Attack (Sword Arm only, -20%) for the hit every round? This looks good, and my only issue is that it'd get pretty expensive pretty quick.

The prototype in my previous post is close-ish to what I want, but it takes a fair bit of outright ignoring the rules in favour of functionality and style.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

This might be a job for Kromm's Extra Arm (Shield Mount) build. We're not concerned about TK here, and it's a sword rather than a shield, but the Extra Arm does give you an extra Parry, and No Signature will make it invisible so you don't have to worry about it spoiling the image of the whirling cloud of swords. You don't need another Maneuver (a la ATR or Compartmentalized Mind) to do multiple Parries in one turn. (A second turn ought to give you a second, parallel Parry count, if that were the goal.)

That was the thought I had. The ability to parry or block extra times is tied to extra arm. Kromm's modifier values are good to know about. Everything else is a limitation or enhancement on the attack or the extra arms. I'm trying to figure out the "destroy the sword" mechanic. On the one hand, it feels like a gadget limitation, but on the other, its gone very temporarily.