Rules you ignore/alter.

[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by MIB.6361

I think Parry Missile Weapons should be a maneuver instead of a separate skill. Hard, with no default, with some suitable penalty off of the base weapon skill.

If you want to use this ability with multiple weapons, you take the maneuver with each skill.


I did it this way in a martial arts heavy game years ago and it worked out well. I haven't tried it since.

I did something similar without removing the skill. The skill is great in a 'improvised' sense that you can use all sorts of things to parry with, but each skill can also take the technique directly. I think I used a -4, but only one player ever took it, so I don't recall.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Plane

DR seems obvious for thick-skinned creatures like bears/crocodiles or if there's a turtle shell, I actually can't think of where I've seen a "Visible" limitation for DR except for the force field spells in PAWS.

At first I thought "what if No Signature was built into Force Field?" for those, but Force Field actually costs less than No Sig so that can't be the case...

Assuming that force fields are invisible by default (and 'translucent' if Visible -10%) is kinda strange to me, I always assumed they'd be somewhat visible.

Maybe it's situation-dependent? Like perhaps by default force fields are "invisible at rest, visible when attacks hit them" but if you take "visible" then they're "visible at rest" too?

A similar contrast could exist for Innate Attacks too:
1) capacity to attack is invisible
2) attacks are visible

That way you could take EITHER modifier:
a) "no signature" to make attacks invisible too
b) "visible" to make CAPACITY to attack visible too

That's sort of how TK works: inherently your CAPACITY to attack is invisible (an invisible hand) but if you take Visible then you have a visible hand.

Here's what Kromm had to state on the matter:

Originally Posted by Kromm

Damage Resistance is normally "always on," per the first paragraph of Turning Advantages Off and On (p. B34). It has no crippling bulk or appearance issues by default, so "it never inconveniences you."

There's little value to being able to switch DR on and off. You must still add Switchable, +10% if you wish to do that, though. Presumably, if you want such a feature, you have ways of making it useful. You can balance that cost with Nuisance Effect and so on to get DR at +0% that's funny-looking or bulky when on, out of the way when off. This isn't a net drawback, because once again, it has its uses. If nothing else, it's really annoying to have to subtract DR from the HT rolls for beneficial Afflictions, or to turn aside hypodermics when you need to be immunized against plagues!

Finally, you can take limitations that shut down or reduce the availability of your DR. These are most often such things as Accessibility and Uncontrollable. If you have a drawback like that, then you don't need Switchable as well.

See also the uFAQ compilation on trait visibility.

[AlexanderHowl]

Interesting, I had never really thought that DR was invisible by RAW. That makes DR much more valuable as an ability then, as its invisibility gives it a massive advantage over DR from equipment.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Interesting, I had never really thought that DR was invisible by RAW. That makes DR much more valuable as an ability then, as its invisibility gives it a massive advantage over DR from equipment.

"No crippling bulk or appearance" =/= "No bulk or appearance" in English, does it? Or am I the one misunderstanding the Kromm quote?

I mean, we need to be careful anyway; it was a quote about Switchable, so everything needs to be understood in that context. Reading the quote, though, I just take it there's nothing about default DR that gets in your way, at least in terms of game mechanics. With exceptions for stuff such as Afflictions.

DR without No Signature or Low Signature doesn't automatically have to be cripplingly bulky, or have a crippling appearance... but I'm not seeing anything that suggests it isn't perceivable.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Otaku

DR without No Signature or Low Signature doesn't automatically have to be cripplingly bulky, or have a crippling appearance... but I'm not seeing anything that suggests it isn't perceivable.

DR has the visibility of a generic advantage; it's not inherently more or less visible than something like high pain threshold.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Anthony

DR has the visibility of a generic advantage; it's not inherently more or less visible than something like high pain threshold.

That would mean every template where DR represents visible armor rather than something esoteric is missing out on claiming a visibility discount...

[AlexanderHowl]

Perhaps a -20% Visibility modifier would be justified? If people see the armor, they will bring out the big guns, special ammo, or just go for the eyes.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

That would mean every template where DR represents visible armor rather than something esoteric is missing out on claiming a visibility discount...

The discount for being visible is generally the same as the reaction adjustment for the template; if you're likely to surprise people with your DR, there's also the possibility of requiring a UB.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Perhaps a -20% Visibility modifier would be justified? If people see the armor, they will bring out the big guns, special ammo, or just go for the eyes.

I don't see it has a problem to treat DR as fairly obvious. You certainly shouldn't look normal if your skin can bounce lasers or bullets. Without a Low/No Signature, it certainly wouldn't pass a casual inspection.

[CeeDub]

In space, I treat Move as acceleration, not as top speed. For example, a character has Basic Speed 5, Space Flight, and Enhanced Move (Space) 3. That would put his top Move at 80, but instead, I treat it as a maximum acceleration of 80 meters (or yards, if you must) per second squared, just over 8G. I then impose an arbitrary speed limit of .1c, .25c or even .5c, so I don't have to deal with all the wonky stuff that happens when you go real fast. :)