Noob question - Defensive Strike and Martial Strike?

[Sean Waters]

Re: Noob question - Defensive Strike and Martial Strike?

 

Sean,

 

Something worth noting...

(again, as I have stated this before on similar threads)

 

Find Weakness dates back to the earliest versions of the Champions game (before there was even a distinction between Hero System and Champions). It even predates the Hit Location rules.

 

I posit that it was an early attempt at a quick and dirty 'hit location' like ability for supers. After full Hit Location rules were developed for 'Heroic level' campaigns it was probably determined that they were too clunky to be used regularly in superhero campaigns. Find Weakness remained the De facto method to implement a 'hit location' like effect in Champions/supers.

 

The fact that it was still included in 5th edition was a measured decision by Steve Long to allow smooth translation of 4th edition characters into 5th.

 

If you take a moment to look at the history of the ability in this context it will solve most if not all of the 'problems' you point out.

 

Beyond that, I think it would be more constructive to continue the Find Weakness discussion in the appropriate 6th Edition thread.

 

I think that is a sensible and appropriate context for what we have today. I'd suggest that the game has changed so much since early editions - at least in sophistication of the rules - that the original need for Find Weakness doesn't exist in the same way. Continuity is important, but there has been a move to 'building' some old powers rather than retaining them as seperate powers, and thre are various ways you could do that with FiWe, and I do believe the time is nigh.

[pinecone]

Re: Noob question - Defensive Strike and Martial Strike?

 

Wow. Thanks to everyone for providing so much insight into the topic. I really didn't expect so much input on my silly newbie question.

 

 

 

So, in light of that, how would one deal with heinously awesome martial artists like the Legion of Super-Heroes' Karate Kid -- who, even after his post-crisis depowering, is shown capable of knocking man-sized holes in walls and judo-tossing enormous opponents? Would kung fu on that scale be best represented by increased STR with the limitation: Only With Martial Manuevers?

 

At the "super" level I tend to build "Multi-Fu" chars...(A multi power full of HA's, HKA's and the like) Instead of "straight" Martial arts...

[Utech]

Re: Noob question - Defensive Strike and Martial Strike?

 

Assuming you can detect a weakness in anything changes the whole game world.

Well, no. It's the default game world. If you don't like the default settings, change them.

 

I'm not sure I understand your reaction to this Power -- I've never had a problem with it -- but I think it boils down to three things:

1) You don't like it that, by default, all things have a weakness.

I've talked about that already.

2) You don't like the idea that Find Weakness is mechanical rather than sfx based.

This is more or less the way most Powers work, but I suppose you could restructure Find Weakness to work more like an Adjustment Power.

3) You don't like the fact that the benefit of Find Weakness disappears over time.

I know that I have good days and bad days. Sometimes I'm at my best and sometimes I'm not. Fight me on my best day, and you'd be unlikely to find a weakness. Fight me on my worst day, and you'd find one real quick. Each day things would be different.

 

This is true even if my defenses are something that do not change from day to day -- a shield, say. On a good day I use that shield well; I make sure that it is set to deflect blows in the best possible way. On a bad day I don't use the shield well; I might interpose it between myself and a blow but do so in such a way that a great deal of the blow's energy goes right through to me.

 

Have I missed the core of your argument?