M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

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Chris Brady
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M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by Chris Brady »

So my players are in Earth Prime Japan, and they've met with a local super, thing is, I've not full made her yet (to be fair, if you know the system, you can run characters cold and stupid. Which is perfect for me), she's a superspeedster with lightning blast ability.

I was thinking of a couple of Alternate Effects, one I want is 'chain lightning', kinda like the D&D spell, where (for those who may not know) the first strike hits one target and then arcs to another target, and another, and another, until it runs out of targets, hits max range or you flub a to hit roll. I want to mimic that. But I don't know where to start.

Halp?
Shock
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by Shock »

Shapeable area Damage effect is the simplest solution.
Chris Brady
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by Chris Brady »

Which requires an attack roll after each hit?
Shock
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by Shock »

If that part's important, you could add a Quirk (or Flaw) that a to-hit roll is required for each additional target. My recollection from D&D is that spells didn't require attack rolls.

Another option is to use Takedown attack with a single target Damage effect. The limitation there being that it's only going to be useful against minions.
EpicEclipse
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by EpicEclipse »

If it were me, I would make it a ranged multiattack with a quirk that missing any attack halts the rest.

Downside is that you have to pick how many targets you want to try and hit as that imposes a penalty on the attack roll. Still, it's as close to the classic chain lightning as you're like to get.
Chris Brady
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by Chris Brady »

I like the ranged multiattack option. Hmm.
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catsi563
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by catsi563 »

nah the ranged multi attacks problem is it doesn't really jump like a chain lightning would.

the shapeable area effect attack covers that nicely anything in the "" area "" is hit as the lightning bolt "jumps' to it and anyone not hit just managed to dodge or avoid the bolt
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EpicEclipse
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by EpicEclipse »

catsi563 wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:50 pm nah the ranged multi attacks problem is it doesn't really jump like a chain lightning would.

the shapeable area effect attack covers that nicely anything in the "" area "" is hit as the lightning bolt "jumps' to it and anyone not hit just managed to dodge or avoid the bolt
Not sure what you are talking about in the bold there. Each target in multiattack has a separate roll, so if one were to place a quirk that if any roll fails, no further rolls can be made on remaining targets, then it "jumps".
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catsi563
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by catsi563 »

because multi attck has to be ""walked"' to hit an area or a group. its normally single target
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EpicEclipse
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by EpicEclipse »

You're worrying about the description, not the mechanic.
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catsi563
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by catsi563 »

EpicEclipse wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 8:30 pm You're worrying about the description, not the mechanic.
that is the mechanic page 195 clearly states that's multi attack can hit multiple targets by and I quote "walking or spraying the multi attack across an arc" you get a penalty for each target equal to the total number of targets and may still attempt to hit the others even if you miss one.
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EpicEclipse
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by EpicEclipse »

Mmmhmm... and? Chain lighting jumps from target to target along a path making an attack roll against each target. I am not seeing a mechanical difference here.

The point was adding a quirk so that a missed attack halts further attacks in the "arc"
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catsi563
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by catsi563 »

which I agree with actually
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by EpicEclipse »

catsi563 wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:36 am which I agree with actually
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Chris Brady
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Re: M&M 3e Chain Lighitning!

Post by Chris Brady »

So Multiattack but can't used for single targets? I.e: It has to walked for multiple targets?
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