Curse of "Suffers extra Damage on Hit"

[Lup3rcal]

I want to build a power that causes the subject to take, say 1d burning damage whenever they take damage from a different source. Think Hex or Hunter's Mark from the 5th ed of That Other Game.

I've considered building this as an innate attack that triggers repeatedly under a specific circumstance. However, by default, an innate attack deals damage once and then is done. I've considered using Trigger Cyclic (cost halved due to repeated trigger need) to remedy this, but the attack still triggers a finite amount of times. Buying a large amount of cyclic fixes this to a point, but is quite expensive.

Alternatively, I've looked at creating some sort of disadvantage package that mirrors the effect I'm looking for, using weakness and dependency for reference, but they deal damage in a scale of minutes or slower.

How would you guys go about modeling this ability? I'm all ears.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Important question: once "marked", can anyone take advantage of this? Or is it exclusively limited to the person doing the marking taking advantage of it?

If it's the first, I'd go with the Weakness build. To reduce the time between "ticks" of damage, you can apply the Reduced Time enhancement to it. This build has made it into various Pyramid articles, at least, so it's canonical. To reduce the time period on Weakness from 1 minute to 1 second, you'll need 6 levels of Reduced Time, for +120%. That will give an effect that adds 1d damage every second, but only once, no matter how many people target them. One more level would take it to the point where it can "tick" multiple times per round. If the damage is per standard Weakness, just straight-up injury that ignores DR, then no further modification is necessary (the fact that it's technically burning damage or whatever is a special effect, basically). On the other hand, if it has to overcome DR separately, that's a pretty substantial limitation - I'd price it at -50%, at least.

If it's the second you're after, where only the marker gets a benefit, I'd build this as an Innate Attack with Follow-Up, Universal (Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, p. 14), which lets it attach to any attack you make, and a limitation, "must mark target first", the price for which depends on how hard it is to mark the target in the first place: -5% if it's just a matter of taking an extra second to do so, -10% if that requires an attack roll or resistance roll from the target, -15% if it requires a Quick Contest instead.

[Brandy]

Originally Posted by Lup3rcal

I want to build a power that causes the subject to take, say 1d burning damage whenever they take damage from a different source. Think Hex or Hunter's Mark from the 5th ed of That Other Game.

I've considered building this as an innate attack that triggers repeatedly under a specific circumstance. However, by default, an innate attack deals damage once and then is done. I've considered using Trigger Cyclic (cost halved due to repeated trigger need) to remedy this, but the attack still triggers a finite amount of times. Buying a large amount of cyclic fixes this to a point, but is quite expensive.

Alternatively, I've looked at creating some sort of disadvantage package that mirrors the effect I'm looking for, using weakness and dependency for reference, but they deal damage in a scale of minutes or slower.

How would you guys go about modeling this ability? I'm all ears.

Affliction: Vulnerability?

[Lup3rcal]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

If it's the first, I'd go with the Weakness build. To reduce the time between "ticks" of damage, you can apply the Reduced Time enhancement to it. This build has made it into various Pyramid articles, at least, so it's canonical. To reduce the time period on Weakness from 1 minute to 1 second, you'll need 6 levels of Reduced Time, for +120%. That will give an effect that adds 1d damage every second, but only once, no matter how many people target them. One more level would take it to the point where it can "tick" multiple times per round.

Oh, this might work. Thanks!

Edit: Yes, I'm looking for the former, where anyone can take advantage of the effect

[Brandy]

Now that I'm home and have my books...

I realize that it isn't exactly "Take 1d6 Injury whenever x happens" but when I'm trying to emulate abilities from other sources, I tend to look for a simple implementation of the broad idea rather than an exact copy. I think I'm going to actually add this as an ability in my game. This is my build of this general idea with modifiers specific to my setting but I think it works. It's probably not what you're looking for, but others may find it of interest.

Also, I know that if I post it and have made any mistakes with the implementation or the math, someone will let me know. So there's that. :)

Sunna's Mark [14] (Note: I use multiplicative modifiers.)
Select an enemy and take a concentrate maneuver. Win a contest of Will+Talent versus Health, modified by regular range modifiers. If you win, your target will be stunned until they can make a HT roll. In addition, they will shine with Sunna's light and become vulnerable to melee attacks for 3 seconds per point by which you won the quick contest. While under the effects of Sunna's mark, multiply all damage which penetrates DR x2 before applying wounding modifiers for damage type or hit location. Sunna's mark has no effect on ranged attacks.
Affliction: Vulnerability (x2, Melee Weapons), +40%, Noisy (Vision) +3, +6%, and Stunning, +10%; Malediction II, +150%; Reduced Duration 1/20, -25%; Divine, -20%; Costs 1 FP, -10%.

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Brandy

This is my build of this general idea with modifiers specific to my setting but I think it works.

It's definitely simpler than the Weakness build, which certainly has an appeal. Also, unless my math is off, it's actually doing more damage too, which is good on its own.

Originally Posted by Brandy

Also, I know that if I post it and have made any mistakes with the implementation or the math, someone will let me know. So there's that. :)

Sunna's Mark [14]
Select an enemy and take a concentrate maneuver. Win a contest of Will+Talent versus Health, modified by regular range modifiers. If you win, your target will be stunned until they can make a HT roll. In addition, they will shine with Sunna's light and become vulnerable to melee attacks for 3 seconds per point by which you won the quick contest. While under the effects of Sunna's mark, multiply all damage which penetrates DR x2 before applying wounding modifiers for damage type or hit location. Sunna's mark has no effect on ranged attacks.
Affliction: Vulnerability (x2, Melee Weapons), +40%, Noisy (Vision) +3, +6%, and Stunning, +10%; Malediction II, +150%; Reduced Duration 1/20, -25%; Divine, -20%; Costs 1 FP, -10%.

The only issue I can see is the Costs Fatigue limitation - that's normally only -5%, not -10%. You only get the -10% per level on Costs Fatigue if it's attached to an ability that has a sustained duration, in which case you pay the FP cost per second instead of per minute. But Affliction is not such an ability, its duration is based on the victim's margin of failure, so the -10% for Costs Fatigue isn't valid.

[Brandy]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

The only issue I can see is the Costs Fatigue limitation - that's normally only -5%, not -10%. You only get the -10% per level on Costs Fatigue if it's attached to an ability that has a sustained duration, in which case you pay the FP cost per second instead of per minute. But Affliction is not such an ability, its duration is based on the victim's margin of failure, so the -10% for Costs Fatigue isn't valid.

Good catch. I'd forgotten that I use that number as a house rule.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Lup3rcal

I want to build a power that causes the subject to take, say 1d burning damage whenever they take damage from a different source. Think Hex or Hunter's Mark from the 5th ed of That Other Game.

Would this be handled as negative Damage Resistance, modified to be variable? The overall cost, after limitations, would be in-line with Brandy's version (DR -4 would be -20 points).