Enhanced Attacks

[Lucius]

So I'm reading the Advanced Player's Guide and I come across a section labelled "Enhancement." It explains how, depending on special effects, one character could use his attack to "enhance" another character's attack, making it more devastating.

 

"Hey, great" I think, "like using a cold attack to quick freeze someone or something and then hit them right away with a heat attack so the rapid contraction and expansion multiplies the damage."

 

Then I come across a statement that "Fire/Heat and Ice/Cold" are an example of two special effects that would "never relate to one another" in a way that would enhance an attack.

 

Of course, the rule is very optional to begin with and the examples in particular could be freely ignored...it just struck me as very strange that the first thing I thought of as an application of the concept is something Steve Long thought of as an example of something that would never work.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Enhancing a palindromedary

[Greywind]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

Worked in Dream Park.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

Hmm... if I recall Enhancement is a special type of Coordinated attack.

 

Coordinated attacks happen simultaneous on the same Phase.

 

So, would the effect you describe be possible if the attacks happen at the exact same time or would they somewhat cancel each other out?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

I think the 'Enhancement' is viewed as a simultaneous event; a Coordinated attack, as Bloodstone says. It was that way in 5e's Ultimate Energy Projector, at least. It was concept more as 'combining your energies into a single blast', rather than a one-two punch, which is why fire/heat and ice/cold wouldn't qualify; they'd neutralize one another. As you say, however, I would probably allow it just because half of a target superheating while the other half supercools is not going to be pleasant in the slightest.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

I think the 'Enhancement' is viewed as a simultaneous event; a Coordinated attack' date=' as Bloodstone says. It was that way in 5e's Ultimate Energy Projector, at least. It was concept more as 'combining your energies into a single blast', rather than a one-two punch, which is why fire/heat and ice/cold wouldn't qualify; they'd neutralize one another. As you say, however, I would probably allow it just because half of a target superheating while the other half supercools is not going to be pleasant in the slightest.[/quote']

 

Cooridinating 'opposite' sfx attacks might actually need to be out of synch* with each other to get an enhancement effect.

*(either timed in sequence or hitting a target from opposite sides)

[ghost-angel]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

I think coming up with a Coordinated-Non-Simultaneous Enhanced Attack would be interesting, Heat/Cold to induce hypothermia as Lucius thought of would certainly quality.

 

But, beyond that known phenomenon - what would say a combination of Holy/Unholy SFX do in this instance? Create a Bodhisattva?

[Lucius]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

I think coming up with a Coordinated-Non-Simultaneous Enhanced Attack would be interesting, Heat/Cold to induce hypothermia as Lucius thought of would certainly quality.

 

But, beyond that known phenomenon - what would say a combination of Holy/Unholy SFX do in this instance? Create a Bodhisattva?

 

O God, how the Devil should I know?

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Or a palindromedary?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

I think coming up with a Coordinated-Non-Simultaneous Enhanced Attack would be interesting, Heat/Cold to induce hypothermia as Lucius thought of would certainly quality.

 

But, beyond that known phenomenon - what would say a combination of Holy/Unholy SFX do in this instance? Create a Bodhisattva?

 

Why am I imagining some anime character screaming "PURGATORY BLAST!" at the top of his lungs?

 

I'd be willing to define the 'standard' Enhancement attack as being just-off simultaneous, even though in game terms they take place on the same action.

[Lucius]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

Why am I imagining some anime character screaming "PURGATORY BLAST!" at the top of his lungs?

 

Well, that's neither here nor there...

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is both here and there

[Christopher]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

As I figure it, enchanchment works like this:

Two fire their very similar blast simultaniously, they combine to one single blast and hit the target with combined force. It's especially intersting when combined with "Contest of Power".

 

What you describe for the ice/heat combo is for me just a normal, coordinated attack. You shouldn't think to much in path's like:

The actions are solved in this phase, every result happens in just this phase (so in one second).

 

This 3 people coordinated attack that happens in phase 5 and stunned the big bad guy? Who says the (cinematic/descriptive) action doesn't takes place in the time it takes everyone to get another action?

With SPD 5, there are usually at least 3 Seconds between one Action Declaration and the Next one, so why not apportion the description of the coordinated attack over that time?

 

The action declaration stays the same, no matter long the decription takes and even if the description say you just devlivered the final part of the combo last Phase, you still can normally declare your action.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

One of the better enhancement attacks my players pulled off:

 

Elementra - who can turn into metal and telekinetically control metal / stone - shoots a Penetrating spike into the bad guy, and has Shock Jock - the Electric Energy Blaster - then shoot a lightning bolt onto the spike. I ruled it as a "not quite simultaneous" coordinated attack and they made the teamwork roll and Con-stunned my bad guy.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Enhanced Attacks

 

One of the better enhancement attacks my players pulled off:

 

Elementra - who can turn into metal and telekinetically control metal / stone - shoots a Penetrating spike into the bad guy, and has Shock Jock - the Electric Energy Blaster - then shoot a lightning bolt onto the spike. I ruled it as a "not quite simultaneous" coordinated attack and they made the teamwork roll and Con-stunned my bad guy.

 

Another fine example. Nicely played.