[M&M3e] Shrink-Ray, Affliction or Attack Extra?

General discussions about role-playing games. Share stories, ask for advice, talk about the industry, etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
Batgirl III
Posts: 3626
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:17 am
Location: Portland, Oregon

[M&M3e] Shrink-Ray, Affliction or Attack Extra?

Post by Batgirl III »

Image

Trying to make a character with what seems to be a fairly straight-forward power: he can shrink people and objects. He cannot himself shrink, but he zaps you with a beam and presto, you're Tiny.

At first, I built the power thusly:

Shrink-Ray Shrinking 12 (E: Attack, Ranged) [ 36 PP ]

However, when looking over 'Power Profile: Size & Mass' for some inspiration for Alternate Effects and possible Power Stunts, I came across the following:

Shrink-Ray Affliction 12 (Resist: Dodge; Recover: Fortitude; Conditions: Transformed [Shrink to Tiny Size]; E: Progressive, Ranged; F: Limited to Third Degree) [ 24 PP ]

This is a significant reduction in Power Point cost, for a better version of the same Effect! Both of them are by-the-book legal... But I feel a bit guilty about using the Affliction over the Shrinking with Attack Extra build. Shrinking is explictly one of the Power Effects used in the example of how the Attack Extra Modifier works.

What sayeth the Hive-Mind?
BARON wrote:I'm talking batgirl with batgirl. I love you internet.
User avatar
Woodclaw
Posts: 1462
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:05 pm
Location: Como, Italy

Re: [M&M3e] Shrink-Ray, Affliction or Attack Extra?

Post by Woodclaw »

I think I would use the first one, since there's a power purpotedly built for that particular scope I don't see the need to use another. However the key point is that the second contruction is a all-or-nothing effect, if it hits the opponent will be shrunk to a specific size determined by the power, whereas the first gives a certain degree of latitude in handling the transformation.
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

WareHouse W (main build thread for M&M)
User avatar
Ken
Posts: 3460
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:40 pm
Location: Sycalb, Madiganistan

Re: [M&M3e] Shrink-Ray, Affliction or Attack Extra?

Post by Ken »

I think it depends on the application. If the goal of shrinking people is supposed to make them more useful in a given situation, then the version using Shrinking is more correct. If the goal of shrinking people is to make them easier to manage, capture, etc. then the Affliction is better.

It does occur to me that the Affliction is going to likely be shrugged off by a lot of the Strong'uns, just because of their usually high fortitude scores, but I guess the hope is that the progressive adder will make up for that.
My Amazing Woman: a super-hero romantic comedy podcast.

When the most powerful super hero on Earth marries an ordinary man, hilarity ensues.
User avatar
Batgirl III
Posts: 3626
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:17 am
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: [M&M3e] Shrink-Ray, Affliction or Attack Extra?

Post by Batgirl III »

It’s the massive difference in PP Cost that really irks me.
BARON wrote:I'm talking batgirl with batgirl. I love you internet.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: [M&M3e] Shrink-Ray, Affliction or Attack Extra?

Post by Jabroniville »

TECHNICALLY, the first one also gets a "Cumulative"-ish thing, since you can shrink them further each time. The latter one, while cheaper, just says "turned to shrunk" at the last level, and you have to beat them by a pretty huge amount just to manage THAT. The first one allows you to blast them over and over again, winning by a little each time, I think.

Adding Cumulative to the Affliction evens them out, cost-wise, if that's an issue.
User avatar
Davies
Posts: 5080
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:37 pm
Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: [M&M3e] Shrink-Ray, Affliction or Attack Extra?

Post by Davies »

Batgirl III wrote: Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:57 pm
<snip>

Shrink-Ray Shrinking 12 (E: Attack, Ranged) [ 36 PP ]

<snip>

Shrink-Ray Affliction 12 (Resist: Dodge; Recover: Fortitude; Conditions: Transformed [Shrink to Tiny Size]; E: Progressive, Ranged; F: Limited to Third Degree) [ 24 PP ]
Okay, the target has to make a DC 22 Dodge check to resist the effect. Succeed and nothing happens. Fail at all, and the next round the target has to fail another DC 22 check, and again the next round, before the target becomes shrunk. Fail by 5 or more (DC 17), the process takes one round fewer. Fail by 10 or more (DC 12), the process happens immediately. Any successful save stops the process. For a DC 22 Dodge check, the target has to fail three times in order to become shrunk.

With the other power, it only takes one DC 22 Dodge check for the Shrinking effect to take place.

If anything, I'm not sure you're getting the full value of that Progressive, and you should probably come up with some way that the Shrink Ray leaves the target Impaired or Disabled.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Post Reply