elemental effect., how's the adept power work? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[fool]

I don't understand the elemental effect adept power. If I add an elemental effect to my punch, how does it effect the person I hit. Do they only get 1/2 their impact armor (or none in some cases) to resist the full damage of my punch? That seems rather excessive when you can combine it with power punch (or whatever that adept power is that raises your dv.) and the power that gives you an AP value costs more than elemental effect costs substantially more. Or does the target only resist the electric (e.g.) power at a certain level (e.g. magic?)

[TonkaTuff]

As far as I can tell, Elemental strike applies the element's secondary effect on top of the physical damage you deal with with Killing Hands. And I believe the secondary damage has a chance of affecting the victim even if you don't actually damage them with the unarmed strike. So you and the target make a standard unarmed attack test. And if the victim was hit, they then make another test to resist the secondary elemental effect at outlined in the elemental damage entries.

Let's say you hit someone with Elemental Strike (Electricity). If your attack roll generates enough hits to land the blow, the target resists the damage from your Killing Hands strike as normal. Then, regardless of whether they soak the damage or not, they have to make another test (base of bod+will at Thresh 3). If they fail, they're useless for a handful of combat rounds. Even if they make the threshold, they take a -2 dice penalty for whatever period they would have been incapacitated had they failed.

The threshold and effect will vary, depending on which element you have imbued (i.e. acid and fire can generate damage on subsequent rounds w/o you having to do anything, blast and water can cause knockdown, sonic can nauseate and deafen the victim, etc.). Like elemental combat spells, the primary use of this power lies in the ability to modify the battlefield and cause special damage to objects - as well as it's ability to make you look pretty bad-ass.

[Ophis]

The way I read and indeed run it is with elemental strike you replace your 4P damage (or whatever power applies) with 4P(fire) or 4S(water). Basically the killing hands do the relevant elemental effect instead of it's normal physical damage, so electricity does stun damage but gets the chance of shocking the opponent or giving them the -2 modifier just like a shock glove.

[treehugger]

I have the same interpretation as Ophis.
The thing is, the armor rules are different for the different elemental effects ...
How do you deal with it ?

[Ophis]

I just stick with the rules as stated in the write up of each elemental effect, this make sonic both very good (no armour) and very stupid (it makes a big f***ing bang).

[desverendi]

I do it the way TonkaTuff does. The physical attack is resolved as normal, then the elemental effect is applied as a secondary effect. I also use the rules for a grazing hit, if the defender rolls exactly the same number of successes as the attacker, the main attack is negated but the elemental effect still applies.

[lorechaser]

[Dentris]

Acid Punch (with several level of critical strike)...Yummy.

[fool]

and that's exacvtly my point. you add CS to EE and get AK (auto kill)

[knasser]

Hasn't actually come up yet, though I always interpreted it the same way as TonkaTuff

[Superbum]

[lorechaser]

[Superbum]

Yep. Case in point, I had a goofball player of mine think it would be awesome to make an adept with unarmed yet take no powers to supplement it. He did 3S on his first punch and everyone at the table just laughed at him.

[fool]

having reread the elemental effects rules, there's a major problem with tonkatuffs interpretation which is that the only elemental effect that does anything is electric. Even then, you only have to do the body+will/3 test. And none of the other elemental effects have such a threshold test (though fire might cause their armor to catch fire.) Which means that the only ee that would be useful is the electric....kinda dumb if you ask me.

[Kyoto Kid]

[TonkaTuff]

[lorechaser]

[Kyoto Kid]

...I agree. I think it is balanced

Firing an automatic weapon is a lot simpler (you may not be that good at it but you can still pull the trigger and hose) than dedicating one's self to mastering a martial art.

In RL with a little instruction on a firing range, I became rather proficient with handguns, particularly revolvers like the Colt Peacemaker and Ruger Blackhawk. To have become even a Golden Glove level boxer would have required several years of physical conditioning and training at the gym.

The tough part with playing a primarily melee oriented character is getting her into place to use it. Hannah's ranged skill is thrown weapons, usually FlashBangs & Pepper Punch Grenades (and occasionally billiard balls). The most important secondary skill is her athletics and Infiltration (Sneaking). She usually uses the grenades as a distraction to get herself in place or herd her target towards where she is hiding. What she really needs is to get a six pack of Heavy Angel Outfitters Distraction in a Can.

[fool]

[Tomothy]

On the other hand if you do it properly you can make a character who can dodge bullets and packs a punch in close combat. And then all those people who focussed on semi-automatics will be in trouble.