So in thise week's session our Troll Physad got try out his "crushing blow" power from street magic. He punched a citymaster and did enough damage to force it to crash (12 boxes or something like that).
That power is intense if you have a high strength and a pile of critical strike!
Or did I miss something?
Full Version: Crushing blow
I'm pretty sure that's not okay. That is, there's nothing suggesting that a Citymaster is a, "barrier or other static structure."
| QUOTE (SL James) |
| I'm pretty sure that's kosher. That is, there's nothing suggesting it isn't, assuming that the Citymaster wasn't moving ("when performing an unarmed strike on a barrier or other static structure"). |
Ah. I did miss something then.
The citymaster was rolling down the street after the van the PCS were in at 120 m/turn!
(The Troll jumped out of the back of the van and smacked the APC)
It may not be kosher with the rules, but it's damn well cool enough to be over-looked, imho.
I mean, that's so perfect. That's why you carry a troll physad with you - so he can beat the hell out of a car if needed.
I mean, that's so perfect. That's why you carry a troll physad with you - so he can beat the hell out of a car if needed.
| QUOTE (lorechaser) |
| That's why you carry a troll physad with you.... |
So he can channel Hellboy.
It works just like you guys had it work, but only if he shouts "POW!" both IC and OOC at the time of the attack.
yeah but did he make his gumnastics roll to jump out of the van going 120m/turn and land on his feet? 
A Bod 10 (12) troll just smacking the Citymaster with its body would be enough to crash it.
Nahh, it wouldn't. But with magical enhanced damage, why not?
| QUOTE (fool) |
| yeah but did he make his gumnastics roll to jump out of the van going 120m/turn and land on his feet? |
The relitive motion of the Van and Citymaster was small, given that the citymaster was chaseing the van, and they were in "Close Range" per the chase mechanics.
I wonder how big something has to be to constitute a barrier, honestly. A dump truck, if parked in front of an alley, is essentially a 'barrier', though by definition it's not a static structure.
Besides, all prior editions let crushing blow get used on vehicles, so I'd be inclined to let it keep doing so.
Besides, all prior editions let crushing blow get used on vehicles, so I'd be inclined to let it keep doing so.
Too cool not to let it happen. Just make sure you're picking the right materials off the barrier list
This is one of those times that the whole "cars are a single item" thing has to bend. If you wouldn't let the character knock the crap out of the Citymaster with this ability, how would you let the ability apply to a Citymaster? If the troll is up on the roof and slams his fist into the top of the cabin, can he use Crushing Blow to try and make a hole in the roof?
This is one of those times that the whole "cars are a single item" thing has to bend. If you wouldn't let the character knock the crap out of the Citymaster with this ability, how would you let the ability apply to a Citymaster? If the troll is up on the roof and slams his fist into the top of the cabin, can he use Crushing Blow to try and make a hole in the roof?
Its easier then that, as a troll Physad, with critical strike, and that new AP power, just punch the damn thing. no special nothing required, you WILL crush it.
| QUOTE (Lebo77 @ Aug 25 2006, 05:00 PM) | ||
Ah. I did miss something then. The citymaster was rolling down the street after the van the PCS were in at 120 m/turn! (The Troll jumped out of the back of the van and smacked the APC) |
Totally awesome. I'd allow it.
Edit: I think the issue is not so much not letting him do it, but to have him deal with the consequnces afterwards. If you jump straight into crazy shit in order to achieve short-term goals, you'd better be prepared to be in trouble as a direct reult. And to be honest, he should have recieved som hefty damage from propelling himself through the chassi of a speeding car.
| QUOTE (Dogsoup) | ||||
Totally awesome. I'd allow it. Edit: I think the issue is not so much not letting him do it, but to have him deal with the consequnces afterwards. If you jump straight into crazy shit in order to achieve short-term goals, you'd better be prepared to be in trouble as a direct reult. And to be honest, he should have recieved som hefty damage from propelling himself through the chassi of a speeding car. |
He jumped on the front, knocked the shit out of the thing, and forced the rigger who zs driving to make a crash test. (He DID spend edge on the attack test). The Vehicle crashed, and looking at the crashing rules (vehicle rams itself) I decided the designer who wrote that section must have been sufferng from brain damage, so I knocked the damage down a bunch. The citymaster was still going to be toast (anong with anyone in it), so the Troll decides to jump clear. (he is sitting on the hood, so... OK)
He jumps off, and I use the falling damage rules to aproximate how fast he hits the ground. I determined (Actualy, my PhD canidate in theoretical math played did) the distance one would have to fall to be going 120 m/turn. Then I divided that damage in half to make it POSSIBLE for him to survive (and cuz he was hitting at an angle and could roll). He spent edge on damage resistance and wound up with 8P. Since he is a Troll, he was fully healed the following day.
I am begining to wonder if it is POSSIBLE to kill that guy. Or at least take him out of the fight for more then 24 hours.
I DID find a combination of armor that his bow can't shoot though however. Security Armor+Helmet+Balastic Shield+Dermal Plateing.
| QUOTE (Lebo77 @ Aug 25 2006, 06:38 PM) |
| I am begining to wonder if it is POSSIBLE to kill that guy. Or at least take him out of the fight for more then 24 hours. |
Has he met up against a caster yet? I suspect the higher end spirits would also provide a reasonable melee opponent.
| QUOTE |
| I DID find a combination of armor that his bow can't shoot though however. Security Armor+Helmet+Balastic Shield+Dermal Plateing. |
Ah yes, bow damage. Speaking of rule writing while suffering brain damage....
| QUOTE (Brahm) | ||||
Has he met up against a caster yet? I suspect the higher end spirits would also provide a reasonable melee opponent.
Ah yes, bow damage. Speaking of rule writing while suffering brain damage.... |
He smokes spirits like they are cheap cigaretes. (killing hands, reach, high strength, critical strike, enhanced unarmed, etc.)
Sure, without a spellcaster providing counterspelling he is toast (so long as the caster used a mana spell. If they tried a powerbolt he might shrug it off.), but anyone without counterspeling is toast in that case.
I have has some luck hurting him. Tazers worked well untill he got non-conductive armor.
I admit, part of my desire to let this kind of thing go - beyond the fact that I'm used to it being rules-legal - is that... yes, it's just damn cool.
One of the most impressive uses of Crushing Blow I've ever seen was when our team was doing part of Brainscan, wherein some Banded were being transported from Ft. Lewis in an APC. We set up the probable route they'd take with some shaped charges on the K-Rails dividing the freeway lanes, under the cover of road repair. We ran in front of the APC in our vehicle, and at the proper time, popped the detonators. The vehicle had to slow to avoid crashing, while we peeled to a halt. Now imagine this, if you will:
-One shaven-headed elf woman stepping out of the back of a van with a gun already on full-auto, anti-vehicular rounds chewing the crap out of the front APC wheels.
-One mage stepping out and promptly unloading a pair of lightning bolts into the guard drones.
-One short japanese man running full tilt to the APC, leaping onto the top, and planting a fist into the APC's turret gun as it tries to bring itself to bear on the group - and punching it so hard with Crushing Blow it bends and can't be fired.
He then asked the GM if he could manifest Crushing Blow as a 'pulling gesture', simply for cinematic effect. The GM says sure, so he vaults to the top hatch and with both hands just YANKS the hatch off the APC.
I decided at that moment that Crushing Blow was one of the most awesome things ever, because it was some straight up Ghost in the Shell stuff, sans tearing arms apart.
One of the most impressive uses of Crushing Blow I've ever seen was when our team was doing part of Brainscan, wherein some Banded were being transported from Ft. Lewis in an APC. We set up the probable route they'd take with some shaped charges on the K-Rails dividing the freeway lanes, under the cover of road repair. We ran in front of the APC in our vehicle, and at the proper time, popped the detonators. The vehicle had to slow to avoid crashing, while we peeled to a halt. Now imagine this, if you will:
-One shaven-headed elf woman stepping out of the back of a van with a gun already on full-auto, anti-vehicular rounds chewing the crap out of the front APC wheels.
-One mage stepping out and promptly unloading a pair of lightning bolts into the guard drones.
-One short japanese man running full tilt to the APC, leaping onto the top, and planting a fist into the APC's turret gun as it tries to bring itself to bear on the group - and punching it so hard with Crushing Blow it bends and can't be fired.
He then asked the GM if he could manifest Crushing Blow as a 'pulling gesture', simply for cinematic effect. The GM says sure, so he vaults to the top hatch and with both hands just YANKS the hatch off the APC.
I decided at that moment that Crushing Blow was one of the most awesome things ever, because it was some straight up Ghost in the Shell stuff, sans tearing arms apart.
Troll meet my human Street Sam with Panther Assault Cannon... bye bye mr Troll physad
| QUOTE (lorechaser) |
| It may not be kosher with the rules, but it's damn well cool enough to be over-looked, imho. I mean, that's so perfect. That's why you carry a troll physad with you - so he can beat the hell out of a car if needed. |
Oh, yeah. By all means. I'm not saying it isn't cool. It very much is. It's just not entirely rules-legal. However, when the opportunity arises to say "fuck the rules, this is too badass not to do," by all means go for it.
Not to mention that punching down onto it would make me more inclined to allow it. But, no, I wouldn't let him pull a Hellboy.
Just noticed they left this power out fo fourth edition. Which third edition book was it in? I'd love to have it as an option for my players.
Magic In the Shadows.
I believe it's a .5 or 1 point power. I don't have my copy handy.
I believe it's a .5 or 1 point power. I don't have my copy handy.
It's Smashing Blow.
For SR3, it's in Magic in the Shadows and it costs 1 point. However, it works noticeably different that the mechanic in SM. In SR3, it's, "Make Unarmed Combat Test vs TN 4, add # of successes to your effective strength for comparing against the unmodified Barrier rating to determine how much damage you do according to the Barrier Effect Table in the SR3 rule book." It also adds +2 to their Charisma for attacking Astral Barriers in astral combat.
For SR4, it's in Street Magic, and it costs 1 point and the mechanic is, "Double the Adept's unarmed base DV."
In effect, the SR3 power doubles your effective strength when attacking a Barrier because otherwise you multiply the Barrier Rating by 2 when comparing melee vs. Barrier. If you have a high enough melee skill you can further increase it by a truly stupifying amount (which is where it actually increases (though not necessarily doubles) the strength when attacking Barriers and destroying heavy structures).
For SR3, it's in Magic in the Shadows and it costs 1 point. However, it works noticeably different that the mechanic in SM. In SR3, it's, "Make Unarmed Combat Test vs TN 4, add # of successes to your effective strength for comparing against the unmodified Barrier rating to determine how much damage you do according to the Barrier Effect Table in the SR3 rule book." It also adds +2 to their Charisma for attacking Astral Barriers in astral combat.
For SR4, it's in Street Magic, and it costs 1 point and the mechanic is, "Double the Adept's unarmed base DV."
In effect, the SR3 power doubles your effective strength when attacking a Barrier because otherwise you multiply the Barrier Rating by 2 when comparing melee vs. Barrier. If you have a high enough melee skill you can further increase it by a truly stupifying amount (which is where it actually increases (though not necessarily doubles) the strength when attacking Barriers and destroying heavy structures).
It's called Smashing Blow, and is in Street Magic. 1 point.
Edit: Jinx, buy me a Krill-shake!
Edit: Jinx, buy me a Krill-shake!
Welll slap my ass and call me Nancy, it is there. I admit, Im a gun-nut in real life so I have to force myself to read up on the magic stuff.
*slaps HB's ass*
"Nancy."
"Nancy."
| QUOTE (Shrike30) |
| Too cool not to let it happen. Just make sure you're picking the right materials off the barrier list This is one of those times that the whole "cars are a single item" thing has to bend. If you wouldn't let the character knock the crap out of the Citymaster with this ability, how would you let the ability apply to a Citymaster? If the troll is up on the roof and slams his fist into the top of the cabin, can he use Crushing Blow to try and make a hole in the roof? |
nah, no real need to pick any materials. given that the only diff between a normal armored target and a barrier is that a barrier have a structure rating rather then a damage track i'd just apply the crushing blow effect as if it was a "barrier".
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