How-to build a Defibrillator effect

[Shadow]

Hello Forum People

 

I'm building a character that revolves around electrical powers and I was thinking of a power that revolves around a Defibrillator effect (he has Medic training)

so for now I am using the following as a temp ability until I can get a better build

 

Defibrillate: Major Transform 3d6 (Non Beating Heart to Beating Heat, Death) (45 Active Points); Limited Power Power must be used within targets CON minutes after heart stops or there is no point (-1), Requires A Paramedic Skill Roll (-1/2), No Range (-1/2), Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4)

 

I gave it 3 dice for now but I'm not sure on how many dice I shuld use

 

Any suggestion will be appreciated thank you

[Utech]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

The Transform is a reasonable approach. You might (as an alternative or in addition) buy Skill Levels with Paramedic. +10 levels or so ought to let you do some pretty impressive defibrillating.

[薔薇語]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

I would build this power as:

 

Aid Stun 4d6 (40 Active Points); Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Side Effects (-1/2)

 

The Aid is to add to stun, thus bring a person back up to function. It requires delicate control of energy to flow, hence the RSR. The side effects are the affects on the character that isn't in need of help. Also they can represent the damage that such high voltage does to the recipients body as well.

 

Just my off hand solution.

 

La Rose

[McCoy]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

What does it do? In game terms. Unless you have house rules for heart attacks, all it does is make someone who is at zero BODY or below from losing more BODY. It's an Sx for a paramedic roll.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

I would probably use 3d6 Healing (Simplified). Gaming-wise, defibrillation means that the character is going to die (his heart isn't necessarily stopped, but is unlikely to recover without help) and thus his BODY is negative. 3d6 Healing (Simplified) would give 3 BODY back (on average), which isn't a lot, but would count as stabilizing the character. Technically, anyone with a good roll on paramedics can stabilize but there's a -1 for every negative 2 BODY and there is no healing. CPR is good for something.

 

If you want to say that you can bring back someone who is technically dead (as in he's at -12 BODY and he's only got 10 BODY), you need to add Resurrection, and a limitation that it won't work if death was due to bloodloss, poison or disease. This isn't very realistic, but very dramatic and mimics television drama.

[Shadow]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

Thanks for the great responses

 

 

How about this revision

Defibrillate: Healing BODY 3d6, Resurrection (50 Active Points); Resurrection Only (-1/2), Limited Power Only within Target CON in minutes after death (-1/2), Requires A Paramedic Skill Roll (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect only affects the recipient of the benefits of the Power; Target is exhausted after treatment (X amount of Long Term END damage); -1/2), Limited Power Only if death is due to heart failure (-1/4), Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4)

[bigbywolfe]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

Just a nit-pick, but defibrillators are not actually used on people with no heart beat. Shocking a "flatliner" is a TV trope. From Wikipedia:

Most television shows will have the medical provider defibrillate the "flat-line" ECG rhythm (also known as asystole); this is not done in real life. Only the cardiac arrest rhythms ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia are normally defibrillated. (There are also several heart rhythms that can be "shocked" when the patient is not in cardiac arrest, such as supraventricular tachycardia or ventricular tachycardia that produces a pulse; this procedure is known as cardioversion, not defibrillation.

Personally I wouldn't use Resurrection, but since Hero does simulate “dramatic fiction” it may be appropriate for your game. I’d go with Simplified Healing with a big limit (probably -1 ½ or -2) Only vs. target suffering Cardiac Arrest/Heart Fibrillation.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

I think this is simply skill levels to first aid (only where defibrillation will have a beneficial effect).

 

 

Doc

[Alibear]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

Penalty skill levels to remove negative body penalties for paramedic rolls.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

Honestly? I would allow the character to have all the bonuses he could otherwise have from having ready access to a defibrillator. It's a pretty narrow benefit very consistent with the character's existing abilities.

 

I wouldn't make a character with flame powers pay points to shed a bit of flickering light, or a character with ice powers buy Transform: Warm beverage to Cold Beverage either.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

Honestly? I would allow the character to have all the bonuses he could otherwise have from having ready access to a defibrillator. It's a pretty narrow benefit very consistent with the character's existing abilities.

 

I wouldn't make a character with flame powers pay points to shed a bit of flickering light, or a character with ice powers buy Transform: Warm beverage to Cold Beverage either.

 

I hadn't presumed this would be something for a player character to have in a superhero game - if so, then I agree with you.

 

For a heroic campaign with a defribillator on the wall, what would you build it as? For me it is another of those powers that depend on the victim.

 

For someone who's heart is arrythmic then it is skill levels on someone's first aid (OAF) to make them better. For a healthy person it is quite a jolt - STUN only? Does BODY triggered by poor heart disad on victim?

 

 

Doc

 

 

EDIT - Yup I see it - the OP did specify that it was for a character's power....

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

I hadn't presumed this would be something for a player character to have in a superhero game - if so' date=' then I agree with you.[/quote']

 

The first post refers to a character with electrical powers. Supers, people with powers, sci fi electric eel - fine, he has electrical powers, so let him have the defib effect. If it's a heroic game, he could buy the thing with cash anyway.

 

For a heroic campaign with a defribillator on the wall, what would you build it as? For me it is another of those powers that depend on the victim.

 

For someone who's heart is arrythmic then it is skill levels on someone's first aid (OAF) to make them better. For a healthy person it is quite a jolt - STUN only? Does BODY triggered by poor heart disad on victim?

 

My suspicion is good luck using a defibrillator on a target who is able to dodge and defend himself. I wouldn't be standing there while you could to clear.

 

And I believe the risk of improper use of a defibrillator is impairing the rhythm of the heart rather than repairing it, so I suspect that it can do BOD if it can be brought to bear.

 

Any paramedics out there want to give us the Cole's Notes?

[bigbywolfe]

Re: How-to build a Defibrillator effect

 

My suspicion is good luck using a defibrillator on a target who is able to dodge and defend himself. I wouldn't be standing there while you could to clear.

If the target is unconscious for any other reason (blocked air way perhaps? Shock? Whatever)... using electric powers isn’t like using an AED that tells you when to do compressions, when to give breaths, and when to shock. Misusing a defibrillator (not an AED) is extremely easy if untrained. The real question is how often will this possibly come up in game?