A Simple Question - Conversion of GURPS Deadlands Hex "Soul Blast"

[pawsplay]

Innate Attack 1d fatigue (Cosmic, Irresistible, Ignores DR, Not creature's own DR, +240%; Link, +10%; Long-Range, No Range Penalties, +100%; No Specific Hit Locations, -0%) [45] plus Affliction 1 (Follow-Up, +100%; Heart Attack, +300%) [50]. Total cost 95 points, not too bad. I have no idea what the max range should be. Note: Follow-up is priced assuming that Long-Range applies to Follow-up just as other range modifiers do.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by carllarson

Because Toughness was dropped for 4E, would the idea of natural armor fall now to DR (Tough Skin)?

So, Soul Blast would ignore/bypass any armor effect from Magog's exoskeleton, but have to blast through his chitin?

I'd say yes. If the DR comes from armor that can be taken on and off then Soul Blast ignores it.

[carllarson]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

Innate Attack 1d fatigue (Cosmic, Irresistible, Ignores DR, Not creature's own DR, +240%; Link, +10%; Long-Range, No Range Penalties, +100%; No Specific Hit Locations, -0%) [45] plus Affliction 1 (Follow-Up, +100%; Heart Attack, +300%) [50]. Total cost 95 points, not too bad. I have no idea what the max range should be. Note: Follow-up is priced assuming that Long-Range applies to Follow-up just as other range modifiers do.

Options?

Replace Cosmic with Malediction 3, and viola, no DR and uses Long Range penalties.

Raise the level of IA to reflect that the damage becomes HP after lower effect FP damage. This lets you drop the Followup.

Still expensive, 30cp per level, not counting if you want to add a limitation to Malediction not bypassing natural DR (26/lvl if you add that at -40%), and after 3 levels, causes unconsciousness and begins to cause wounds, on average.

[carllarson]

Originally Posted by copeab

I'd say yes. If the DR comes from armor that can be taken on and off then Soul Blast ignores it.

I'm not sure Magog can ever survive without the exoskeleton again, but it is artificial and was originally added.

The split is needed for Deadlands, if only to cover certain mad science inventions. Magog, the steam armor that has run off with its creator inside, for a couple examples.

Question is, how to handle a person inside a steam wagon? Can you Soul Blast a vehicle, and only affect the crew?

[knarf]

Originally Posted by Hero of Canton

Thanks for your comment, but that's never how I've seen it handled. I'm looking at page 78 of GURPS Deadlands and I am seeing fatigue damage listed only for a Hand that is a lowly Pair. Also if you draw The Dead Man's Hand it "kills the target automatically."

Anybody else wanna chime in on this? Is capnoni correct and all Soul Blast damage only fatigue damage? I'd love it if that were the case, but I'd be surprised if it is.

The Hero of Canton

Making it a fatigue attack would make a degree of sense, since (as is made clear in 4e) fatigue loss over your FP pool is taken as HP damage. Low effect is just fatigue, higher effect is damage, and ultimate effect equals death.

[knarf]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

Innate Attack 1d fatigue (Cosmic, Irresistible, Ignores DR, Not creature's own DR, +240%; Link, +10%; Long-Range, No Range Penalties, +100%; No Specific Hit Locations, -0%) [45] plus Affliction 1 (Follow-Up, +100%; Heart Attack, +300%) [50]. Total cost 95 points, not too bad. I have no idea what the max range should be. Note: Follow-up is priced assuming that Long-Range applies to Follow-up just as other range modifiers do.

Another trick is that the effect was ultimately variable, being based on poker hands (or degree of success in a variant rule).

[carllarson]

Originally Posted by knarf

Another trick is that the effect was ultimately variable, being based on poker hands (or degree of success in a variant rule).

To get this effect when building Spells as Powers, it takes building the spell at its most powerful, and adding Variable. In this case, you could take a page from G Psionic Powers, build at its most powerful, and add a limitation to reflect the contest inherent in the poker hand (Requires Reaction Roll -5%, renamed Requires Poker Hand, and Damage linked to level of success -n%)

[copeab]

Originally Posted by carllarson

I'm not sure Magog can ever survive without the exoskeleton again, but it is artificial and was originally added.

Yeah, this case does blur the line a bit between natural armor and artificial armor. In a supers setting it might be hard to make a distinction

Question is, how to handle a person inside a steam wagon? Can you Soul Blast a vehicle, and only affect the crew?

I'd say the Soul Blast would bypass the wagon DR, but I'd apply cover penalties for not being able to see all (or any) of the target.

[Hero of Canton]

Almost exactly two years ago I posed my "simple question". The result was an interesting discussion with my erudite fellow GURPS GameMasters. From said discussions and further pursuit of the matter on other forums and websites I came up with this House Rule that my players and I are content with:

Soul Blast 4e – House Rule

Missile Spell

Time to Cast = 1 Second


Duration = Instantaneous

Maximum Range = 50 Yards/Level of Magery

Cast as per GURPS Deadlands 3e rules using Poker hands.

If cast successfully roll vs. the skill Innate Attack (Projectile) (DX/E) to score a hit – which will usually do large piercing (pi+) damage.

Ignores Range Modifiers but not Size/Speed/Poor Visibility/Cover Modifiers.

An Armor Divisor of (2) is applied to the DR of the target's Armor, but not to the Damage Resistance (Tough Skin) advantage if possessed.

As per most Missile Spells, specific Hit Locations can be targeted with a Soul Blast.

Damage Done By Poker Hand
Pair = 1d6 Fatigue
Jacks = 1d6 pi+
Two Pairs = 2d6 pi+
Three of a Kind = 3d6 pi+
Straight = 6d6 pi+
Flush = 7d6 pi+
Full House = 8d6 pi+
Four of a Kind = 9d6 pi+
Straight Flush = 10d6 pi+
Royal Flush = 12d6 pi+
Dead Man's Hand = Instant Death

So this is what we use at our table and folks here in NM have been satisfied with the results. There was some concern about not ignoring armor DR altogether, but pi+ offsets that concern.

Hero of Canton