AOE: Line plus Teleportation

[kefkakrazy]

I want to build a power wherein the character, a sword used, essentially goes through a straight line of space in super-speed with his sword held out. Obviously, the Move By rules would work, but I want him to be able to go through enemies, so I was thinking this:

 

RKA Xd6, AOE Line PLUS Teleportation x", Limitation: Must end up in the first hex in a straight line past the end of the AOE Line?

 

Sorry about all the threads I open up. I sometimes wind up not using some of this stuff-I enjoy the thought exercise as much as anything else.

[Vulcan]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

That's not an unreasonable build for it. But you might get more milage with just buying Penlty Skill Levels vs. Multiple Move-Bys.

 

Of course, with the move-bys people have the option to hold and (try to) interrupt your action somewhere in the middle, the AOE Line/Teleport has the advantage of being 'all at once'.

 

Or course, they opposition can just Dive for Cover 1" away from the line...

 

BUT, if you do do the AOE Line/Teleport route, put Trigger on the T-port. Since movement is supposed to come before attacks...

[Hyper-Man]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

AOE Trail from the Ultimate Speedster might work as well.

[Sean Waters]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

You can't add velocity damage with teleport, so that may not be good. How about buying a naked advantage: IPE for running, only useable with special attack (or just invisibility only useable with special attack - whichever works out cheaper) - that way you start at A, end up at B, no one saw how you got there, and you can use velocity damage to improve your attack.

[kefkakrazy]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

In my mental version of the attack, the user can "phase" through people on his way through, as well, which is why I was thinking the AOE plus Teleportation-true, no velocity damage, but opponents wouldn't present a barrier to it either, and nor would the Multiple Move By penalties.

[prestidigitator]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

Eh. Call some of it "velocity damage" if you want. The character can move as fast as necessary to pull off the attack, and use as much of his momentum to increase his damage as you choose to describe. That's all part of the power's Special Effects. Just because you can't use part of the character's normal Running or Jumping or whatever to add to a maneuver's damage doesn't mean you can't attribute a portion of the damage paid for in the attack to that "super speed" used to pull it off.

 

I like the AOE and Teleport combination originally proposed.

[Sean Waters]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

In my mental version of the attack' date=' the user can "phase" through people on his way through, as well, which is why I was thinking the AOE plus Teleportation-true, no velocity damage, but opponents wouldn't present a barrier to it either, and nor would the Multiple Move By penalties.[/quote']

 

Ah. Problem here, potentially. You can not move after attacking so what you'd have to do is half move teleport and then fire the Line AoE backwards (although you could, for sfx purposes, describe it as you do in the OP). The line AoE should be as long as your half move TP.

 

It would hit everyone, friend and for, unless you make it selective and, whilst you can pass through barriers, the attack can't unless you also make it indirect - so if you teleport into a room then out the other side your attack won't hit anyone in the room, done as a line AoE.

 

You can get round the indirect problem by using multiple move-bys, but you get the penalties (which you could negate with skill levels)

[Hyper-Man]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

from:

The Ultimate Speedster ■ Chapter One

page 49

 

AREA OF EFFECT, EXPLOSION

 

Speedsters often build abilities with Area Of Effect (or, less frequently, Explosion) to simulate the fact that they can hit or affect a lot of targets “simultaneously” by moving at super-speed, or can generate environmental effects (like “mini-tornadoes”).

 

Area Of Effect: Trail (+1)

One common power used by speedsters in comic books and some other literature is to generate an attack or other effect behind them as they move. For example, a running speedster might set the ground behind him on fire due to super-friction, a flying speedster could generate a series of sonic booms as he moves through the air at supersonic speed, and just about any type of speedster might “pick up” and move objects in the “backdraft” that follows him as he moves at hyper-velocity. Similarly, speedsters often like to create attacks where they run past a large number of foes and hit each one of them.

 

To do this using the standard rules, a character simply buys an Area Of Effect: Line attack that’s Linked to his Movement Power. (In some cases Area Of Effect: Cone or Any Area may also be appropriate.) The Line should be bought to have a length equal to the character’s inches of Combat Movement. The attack “activates” at the end of the character’s movement, affecting everyone in the Line. If the character moves less than his full inches of Combat Movement, the Line is only as long as he moved. Since the attack is Linked to the character’s movement, it still activates even if he performs a Full Move, and it’s made against DCV 3.

 

This method is a little complicated for some players’ taste, and also suffers from some drawbacks. First, and the proportionately rules for Linked reduce the damage caused if the character makes less than a Full Move (unless the GM rules otherwise). Second, the character can only move in a straight line; he can’t turn or avoid obstacles. Third, since the movement is a part of the overall power, not a supplement to it, he receives no velocity bonus to damage even if he otherwise would.

 

To better simulate these sorts of powers, the GM can allow characters to use a new optional form of Area Of Effect, Trail (+1). A Trail is 1” wide and tall, and as long as the character’s movement in the Phase; it cannot be made longer, larger, or taller unless the GM specifically permits. A Trail only works in conjunction with a character’s movement (Combat or Noncombat). It follows his movement path, so if he zigs and zags in and out among various obstacles, the Trail will also. (On the other hand, if someone stops him from moving under his own control, such as by causing him Knockback or tripping him, the Trail stops at whatever point he lost control.) A Ranged Power for which Trail is purchased automatically becomes a No Range power; it gets no Limitation for this. Nor may a character Link a Trail power to a Movement Power; by definition a Trail only works in conjunction with a Movement Power.

 

Example: Afterburner (Running 20”) moves so quickly that he can generate super-friction that causes the air and ground behind him to burst into flame as he runs past. He buys this as an RKA 1d6, Area Of Effect (Trail; +1). If he runs 10”, he creates a 10” Trail that’s 1” wide and tall and does RKA 1d6 damage to anyone and anything in it. If he makes three turns during those 10” of movement, the Trail follows his turns. At the end of the Segment the fires dissipate (though it’s possible the GM may allow them to set flammable objects on fire).

 

Example: The Scarlet Meteor (Flight 30”, No Turn Mode) wants to have the ability to fly past numerous targets and punch each of them with his 20 STR. He buys Area Of Effect (Trail; +1) as a naked Advantage for his STR (total cost: 20 points). Now when he flies, he can punch people for 4d6 Normal Damage as he flies past them, twisting and turning in the process and attacking against DCV 3.

 

If a character wants to apply Trail to an inherently area-affecting Power, like Change Environment or Darkness, the GM should consider requiring the character to buy some minimum level of the power (perhaps using the rules on page 101 of The HERO System 5th Edition, Revised rulebook as a guideline). Otherwise a character could buy a 1” radius version of these powers and make it significantly larger with Trail, causing game balance problems.

 

The GM should monitor the use of this Advantage to prevent abuse. It’s intended to make it easier for characters to build intriguing and flavorful abilities that add to the fun of the game, not for stunts like criss-crossing planets and galaxies with trails of fire (or what have you) for a cheap cost.

[Sean Waters]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

Have you had guru training?

 

I was not aware of that but it seems sensible enough, but I'm not sure how it would work with teleportation: TP, unlike every other movement power (IIRC) is instant, and you do not cross the intervening space, so any trail would only occur in the hex you leave, which seems pointless.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: AOE: Line plus Teleportation

 

Have you had guru training?

 

I was not aware of that but it seems sensible enough, but I'm not sure how it would work with teleportation: TP, unlike every other movement power (IIRC) is instant, and you do not cross the intervening space, so any trail would only occur in the hex you leave, which seems pointless.

 

 

I'd probably allow it to be used with TP if was built with the Must Pass Through Intervening Space Limitation. I wouldn't allow the TP inches to add to the damage though. That form of TP is most often used as an alternative for Invisibility Linked to normal movement (Running or Flight) anyway so it's a points wash imo.