[4e] Mage and (non-lethal) figting.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Jose

Yeah, that's one of my problems with this specific spell: How do I sinkhole some sucker, I can say create a hole underneath my enemy but the book says he can simply step away.

Hit them with a cheap, simple spell to keep them from moving first. Many kinds of illusions and various Stun effects can keep somebody still for 1 second, as can anything that knocks people down.

If you can convince your GM to allow it, Compartmentalized Mind with No Mental Separation, Magic PM, and Spells Only allows you to dual-cast at no penalty. Highly effective for stunning somebody while the ground below them sinks.

[RyanW]

If I'm reading it correctly, it looks like you might be misapplying Alternate Ability. You always take the highest cost ability at full price, and the lesser costs at 1/5.

[Otaku]

So I've got a laundry list of things. In fact, I'll preface this with an outline

1) Properly applying Alternate Ability
2) Stretching Advantage versus Long Enhancement
3) Other important Advantages for the Hair
4) Just try to get the GM to write it up as a Spell since you're a mage.

Number One

Originally Posted by RyanW

If I'm reading it correctly, it looks like you might be misapplying Alternate Ability. You always take the highest cost ability at full price, and the lesser costs at 1/5.

I also am confused; for what is her Medusa* Hair acting as an Alternate Ability? Itself so that sometimes its a single Extra Arm, other times it can be two, five or eight? Like RyanW points out, the Alternate Ability rules mean you pay full price for the more expensive of the two abilities, then the other one may be purchased for 1/5th its normal price (if both are the same price, just choose whichever one you want to be the default and pay full price for it, a fifth normal price for the secondary ability).

So if that is the case the eight arm version is the most expensive and thus primary ability.

Number Two

Super long hair can be a real pain when out on an adventure but even with the Enhancement you purchased, they just act as Size Modifier +1 limbs... which means your hair won't reach that far. You can do C actions at Reach 1 and you'll get some potentially useful bonuses for things like grappling.

That might be all you want, but I wished to make sure. Since long hair can be such a pain, if you go this route perhaps Stretching? It costs 6/level but since it is only for the hair bought as Extra Arms, I would think that the -20% Limited ("Arms Only", -20%) would translate to Limited (Hair Tentacles Only", -20). Even if it doesn't, a single level of Stretching costs 6 points and gets you to Size Modifier +1, while you are paying 10 points by taking "Long, +100%" for Extra Arm once and so 16 points total as you buy it three more times but those are Alternate Abilities.

You don't get all the same bonuses, but for the purposes you've described (entangling foes, counting as touch contact for casting spells) this would still work. If the GM agrees it is a legal use for the Enhancement, take at least one level of Reduced Time so that your hair can instantly use the first level of Stretching (since the hair is already magic, I think this is within suspension of disbelief). Reduced Time costs +20% so the Limited (Hair Arms Only, -20%) would even out and you'd still only be paying 6 points per level. If you can spare the points and want some really wild hair, consider extra levels of Stretching and (if the GM agrees) Reduced Time.

Of course as I keep worrying about long hair even when it isn't being used as Extra Arms. If agreeable for the character concept, point budget and GM, apply "Switchable, +10%" on the Extra Arms so that she can reduce them to a more adventure friendly length. This would also allow them to be a bit more of a surprise; whether her default length is a bob, shoulder length, or just less than the full yard implied by Extra Arms, it should be easier to deal with when trying not to get caught up in traps.

Number Three

There is a lot more to effectively using the hair well. Even if we ignore some of the tricks tbrock1031 employed with his build for Medusa like Brachiator (so you can easily move about with your hair wherever there are climbing hand holds) you might want Extra Attack so you aren't forced to choose between doing something with your hair and doing something else. Constriction Attack seems useful but not an absolute necessity. I am wondering about Regeneration and Regrowth; here is where the "fluff" meets the "crunch". Normally hair isn't a limb so defaulting to the normal human experience of "cut hair grows back" should be worth no points. Here? Probably should require points or else the hair just grows back as normal hair. Which leads to the next point...

Number Four

Maybe you should see if the GM will allow this to be a series of Spells (whether a few to cast together or one that just has several prerequisites) instead of having to buy it as an Alternate Ability. It might be less of a headache for all involved.

*The Marvel Comic book character, not the gorgon.

[Jose]

Originally Posted by Otaku

*Rant on hair*

Ah yeah Ill look at those calculations again, probably messed something up there. The GM's girl friend is already after me on the long hair part but making it longer and as an advantage has it even pricier than before and its already pricey as allhell.

Any suggestion on how animate it? I open for any suggestions here, that would be such a cool thing.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Jose

Ah yeah Ill look at those calculations again, probably messed something up there. The GM's girl friend is already after me on the long hair part but making it longer and as an advantage has it even pricier than before and its already pricey as allhell.

Any suggestion on how animate it? I open for any suggestions here, that would be such a cool thing.

If it's bought as an Innate Attack instead, it's just a feature that it's made of hair.

[Jose]

Well it seems this rules the hairy option out, Otaku has a point its too much for a reach 1 its just not worth it. So its the good old fashioned mage with staff and such it seems.