(2) - Dawn of the Metahumans

Game Master mdt

Re: Flash: What you just said runs directly counter to what the tutorial document says. Assuming a 'round' is 12 seconds, and I roll well (and get a 2 and a 6) they should be blinded for 3 actions according to the tutorial, but your way, they're blinded for 3 seconds... meaning that blinding Cat is almost never going to do anything, unless I'm very careful with my timing.

Quick question before I act:

Are you counting Force Fields and Flight as Mental powers or Physical powers.

That determines the course of Violet's next action.

Ahhh, I just read the tutorial. You're right, what I said contradicts it completely. I based my understanding on the following text from the Revised 5e Rules (p.176): “The total
number of BODY rolled, minus the target’s Flash
Defense (if any), is the number of Segments the
target’s Sense(s) is (are) disabled. Begin counting
the Segments in the Segment in which the charac-
ter uses the Flash attack (even if the target’s already
had a Phase that Segment)."

mdt, how do you rule this?

And Violet, from the Movement rules:
"To create a movement ability that lets the character move when his “EGO” occurs in the combat order, buy Lightning Reflexes with the Movement Power to make the character’s DEX equal his EGO for that purpose". Unless one does that, a metalist moves (and activates other powers that aren't based on ECV) on their DEX, not their EGO.

That's what I was thinking, but I couldn't be sure. Lightning Reflexes can get pricey, so I'm making sure I'm on the same page. Speaking meta-gaming-wise, if he's spent those points on his LR for his flight, then they had to go somewhere else... muahaha.

Anyway, action coming soon.

Ok, a few things :

1) Yes, Ace did one of those two things. Do realize though, that you can specify 'Act on EGO 10' then on Ego 10 'Act on Ego 9', and so on. So realistically, I just allow the generic "I Hold" option in the book.

2) Good catch, they changed flash between 3rd and 5th. In case yu hadn't noticed by now, I spent 10 years running and playing 3rd, and about a year on 5th, so I may make a few of those mistakes. Catch me on that. Do note that flashing someone over a period they can't act is arguably more useful than when they can act, as they are now blind and can't do anything at all and have a lowered DCV.

3) Lightning reflexes for a single power isn't all that expensive. Also, I'll have to make a tweak to Ace, as he was built in 3rd edition, when the special effect of the movement power determined when it was usable. Fortunately he's only a 300 pt character, so he's actually underpowered. Easier to do that than retcon actions. So to answer Violets question, having just looked at the adjusted rules in 5th, any power in the mental power list is a mental power, and anything with uses ego is a mental power. Anything else, is physical unless lightning reflexes is bought.

Okay, so I've got energy resistance but it doesn't do any good? Is that fair to say? What happens then?

Energy Resistance turns non-resistant PD or ED into Resistant PD/ED.

If you look at your sheet, you'll see your Resistant PD/ED is equal to your non-resistant PD/ED.

You have 15 rED.

Half of that is 8.

24-8 = 16. You took 16 stun, and no body from it (8-8=0).

Violet, on the other hand, took 14 stun, but is now con-stunned (13 Con).

Hotaru also has 15 rED, and took the same as Whippoorwill

Aegis also took 16 stun, same math.

Goo has 10rED, which got halved to 5. He took 19 Stun and 3 Body as his goo cooked in the microwave beams. He is not con-stunned.

Okay, I read that as taking half if my resistance was hardened.

That...

Is a whole lot of killing attacks they are throwing at us. I the player was not expecting that.

This changes things in my tactics, and makes me (player and character) wonder what the heck they're doing throwing things at us that could theoretically kill us. Without the forcefield, Violet would be close to dead. (Had I aborted to dodge, she'd have missed me, but the defenses wouldn't be up, so there's that.)

Buuuut, Violet trusts Ace and Shadowcat not to kill us, so we'll see how this plays out.

Thank goodness it's Segment 12 so I can recover from being Con-stunned.

:) Hotaru was hit by an HKA (I'm almost certain) in her intro. They've got ways of dealing with this.

What's 'Con Stunned'?

Con-Stunned means you took more stun than you ahve con. You lose an action to recover from it, drop any powers that cost end, and go to half DCV.

As to killing attacks, yes, they are using them, they did warn you they were going to go all out. This is basically them trying to scare you into quiting, if you can't handle it. That way if you are hurt, it's in a controlled environment and they don't have to worry about you getting killed by a bad guy (who won't hesitate).

Um, Violet, it's segment 4, not segment 12.

Never mind, getting threads mixed up. :)

I thought combat always started in segment 12 and everyone got a turn during that? :0 Hotaru also didn't get her segment 3 action if that's the case :p

Mixing tables? :)

So I think I made the ego save so pulse is safe would I be able to abort to deflect one of the attacks? Also what kind of damage did ace do

**edit**
Also I'm guessing pure energy is desolid would aegis know or is it not desolid?

Also I am on the road and my iPad and phone browsers will not allow me to manipulate the map I would like to move forward 6"

Aegis's Ego Check is 12 or less (it's next to EGO on her character sheet). 12-

She's at a -4 to the roll, so that makes it an 8- that she needed. She didn't succeed. She'll get another roll after her next action, then one at the end of the turn, then after 1 minute.

Each check it will go up by 1 (9- after phase, 10- at end of turn)

Goo didn't take any damage because he moved before Transducer went.

Violet aborted her 12 to activate defenses, so she'll be Con Stunned on Phase 3.

She put the 4 penalty in her 3d6. The 3d6 actually add up to 8, still. Just syntax was in the wrong order. :)

Ah, ok, then Aegis made her Ego Check, lucky for Pulse. :)

Pulse doesn't afraid of Aegis. :o

Pretty sure I can take my Post Segment 12 Recovery (the free recovery everyone gets after S12) to recover from being Con Stunned, can't I?

I mean I haven't played regularly in a 5E game for a while but I believe that is the case.

A Stunned character must take a moment to clear his head and recover from the effects. Th is is called recovering from being Stunned. Recovering from being Stunned requires a Full Phase, and is the only thing the character can do during that Phase. A character can recover from being Stunned in the Segment in which he was Stunned if he had a Phase in that Segment and his Phase has not yet occurred. If a character becomes Stunned while Holding an Action, he cannot use his Held Action to recover from being Stunned — he simply loses it. A character does not recover from being stunned when he takes a Post-Segment 12 Recovery.
In the character’s next full Phase aft er becoming Stunned, he recovers from being Stunned when his DEX occurs in the Segment. He regains his full DCV (and Placed Shot modifi ers return to normal), but he still cannot act until his next Phase — recovering from being Stunned is all he can do that Phase. However, aft er recovering from being Stunned, a character may, if he wishes, Abort to a defensive Action (even in the same Segment in which he recovers from being Stunned).

Nope, sorry. You still get the post 12, but it doesn't recover your stunned condition.

Does stun drop her shielding or anything?

Recovering From Being Stunned wrote:

A Stunned character must take a moment to clear his head and recover from the effects. Th is is called recovering from being Stunned. Recovering from being Stunned requires a Full Phase, and is the only thing the character can do during that Phase. A character can recover from being Stunned in the Segment in which he was Stunned if he had a Phase in that Segment and his Phase has not yet occurred. If a character becomes Stunned while Holding an Action, he cannot use his Held Action to recover from being Stunned — he simply loses it. A character does not recover from being stunned when he takes a Post-Segment 12 Recovery.
In the character’s next full Phase aft er becoming Stunned, he recovers from being Stunned when his DEX occurs in the Segment. He regains his full DCV (and Placed Shot modifi ers return to normal), but he still cannot act until his next Phase — recovering from being Stunned is all he can do that Phase. However, aft er recovering from being Stunned, a character may, if he wishes, Abort to a defensive Action (even in the same Segment in which he recovers from being Stunned).

Nope, sorry. You still get the post 12, but it doesn't recover your stunned condition.

Ah! You're right, I had forgotten that.

I do get my lost Stun (the characteristic value) back (up to my REC), but I am Stunned (the condition) until my next action segment.

(parentheses for those unfamiliar with the system to make sure the "level," "Level," and "Level" issues common to D&D/PF don't happen)

Thank you, mdt. This is what I get for loaning my book out to folks. :)

A Stunned character’s DCV instantly drops to ½ (as do the modifi ers for making Placed Shots against him). At the end of the Segment, any of his
Powers that aren’t Persistent, and any Skill Levels of any type, turn off . The character remains Stunned and can take no Action until his next Phase (he cannot even Abort to a defensive Action). A character who is Stunned or recovering from being Stunned can take no Actions, take no Recoveries (except his free Post-Segment 12 Recovery), cannot move, and cannot be affected by Presence Attacks. Stunned characters typically retain their grip on objects they’re holding, but this may depend on the
object (heavier ones are dropped more oft en than light ones) and the nature of the attack.

Generally, if you are con-stunned and knocked back, I make you do a str or dex check to hold onto things you're holding.

Do note that the penalties for called shots (placed shots) halve as well.

No problem, I've been having issues with 3rd edition creeping into my 5th edition rules, so I double checked Vi. :)

Hey mdt, I hid a Q for you in my wall-o-text post this AM:

Q 1)

Also, mdt, if I wanted to risk it, could I run up the wall to above Ace and then jump at him with my current running velocity? How would that play out mechanically?

Now that I'm in the dark, I have some extra Qs:

...Oh, and I think the reason I remember Flash effecting segments instead of phases is because it galled me when they changed it in 5e. I think it's gone from undercosted to overcosted now. :-/

1) There's no rules for it. However, you could try it. You'd have to do a split movement. Half-phase action run, half-phase action Leap. You'd then have to do a move-by or move-thru with your leaping speed. You'd need enough leaping in a half-move to reach him.

You'd lose a lot of velocity doing it, we'd probably average your velocity between your leaping and running.

2) You can follow the railing to continue on. Due to your high speed and the suddenness of the darkness, you'll need to make a dex check at a -1 per 10" of velocity (-3) to maintain your balance. If you hadn't been moving, you wouldn't need a roll (like Kestrel).

3) You would need to make a perception check to catch sight of her in time to hit her. If you didn't have rapid eyesight, you'd have major penalties.

4) If you were hitting her in the dark, yes. Given she can see, and knows you're there and moving fast, no, sorry. (She specifically did something on her round because she knew you were there).

Did Violet's stun break our psychic link? Also, when that's up, you said we can communicate at the "speed of thought." Does that mean we can talk to each other out of turn?

I think I remember her saying she sold that power cause it was too costly to be outside the happy fun pool, which meant she had to choose between teamspeak and flight. Or something along those lines.

Ace did share his mind speech with us, though.

And she does still have telepathy. So... dunno.

Violet doesn't have mind link, it was Ace who had that. Violet has Telepathy, but that's it (which is one mind at a time), and other mental attacks.

You used Ace's mental link in training, to help with learning. But right now, you don't have one.

But yes, if it was not bought persistent, it would drop if she were con stunned.

All right, next question. Can we talk to each other out of turn without a mind link? :)

Per the rules, yes.

If it get's too hoaky, I'll step in. :) There's a limit to how much you can say in 12 seconds. :)

mdt--the DVC-3 was a copy/paste error. thanks for catching it. I've corrected my post.

hit locations: do they matter for normal (non-killing) attacks? should I roll mine going forward?

critical success / max effect: I'm not familiar with those rules, can you explain them?

Mental illusions: Yikes! I hope I'm no more effective against my teammates than I've been against our foes so far. ;-/ ...meanwhile, someone KO Ace *fast*!!

Yes, the NORM STUN column indicates hitting some areas is better or worse than others.

A hit to the arm or hand, or foot, does 1/2 damage. That is, if you get 10 stun through defense, and hit a hand, it becomes 5 Stun.

A hit to the head or vitals is 2x Normal Stun, so 10 stun through becomes 20 stun.

Punches use the punch chart by default (House rule) so 2d6+1. If you want to kick, use the kick chart.

Martial manuevers use 3d6 (they are inherently using a lot more action, and a kung-fu strike could hit from head to foot, whether a kick or a punch).

EDIT: Crit hits in tutorial

As to being effective, you are all mostly equal in power, which means you're all kind of going to be hit or miss, especially at first. Shadowcat got a lucky block (she needed an 8 or less on 3d6), and Ace got a lucky hit (attacking). Aegis did a real number on Transducer. Kestrel is probably the second worst target you could pick, she's designed to take out speedsters.

Thanks! And I wasn't really too worried about effectiveness, just kvetching! (and *am* genuinely worried that my on-the-ground allies are easier targets for me than Kestrel and the air force).

;0)

Cat's block was a great lesson though. I think this practice session in general will teach us a lot. For instance: find a way to buy some ego defense (and probably some flash and power defense).

In terms of Kvetching, Violet's only ever had to deal with Normals. Bad guys. Spies and thugs and bomb-makers.

Hence, she's never had to really test her Endurance and Stun reserves.

What works for Normals doesn't work for Heroic tier types, and this is going to make her painfully aware of that.

Is it possible to prepare a held action for a combat prior to combat starting, if you know it is coming? I was thinking that in this specific instance it's pretty much a moot point as 'combat starting' initiated turn 0, is that incorrect?

The reason being, that in theory, I could have readied to use my shield at the start of combat.

The reason I feel this doesn't make any sense is because everyone would be equally prepared to launch into their actions and it would come down to their actions all triggering in order of dex. Which would have been really, really bad.

Am I incorrect in this view?

Not really Hotaru. There is what is called 'Ambushing', if you can pull it off, you basically get a free round of actions, then combat starts.

And yes, that's why you can't normally 'hold an action' for combat. :)

yeah. It would have devolved into something like 'A wild Transducer appears. Everyone is bleeding.'

Who said it was your activation? :)

I just always assume it's my mistake. It has served me terribly so far. :)

Activation rolls are neat... but I'd go nuts with trying to remember which ones go where. I guess that's why I have such a fancy character sheet. :)

Also... I feel -really- bad if she 'sees' Radio. Because like... I can imagine a camera flash. It's really annoying, but it comes back. But imagine she doesn't 'see' radio, but instead 'feels'. It's a lot more likely. It'd be like numbing or, (more likely in this case) flipping on all the nerve endings in someone's body. ;~;

In retrospect... it makes no sense that I chose to dive in the way... when the TN was the same. One leaves me taking the damage, the other leaves me not, if I succeeded. Can I adjust to a block over a dive? #derp

I just swapped from desktop to kindle as well. So no token moving. But if not, that's fine too. It's not like she had the chance to react properly. :)

I did try to point that out in IM. :)

Yes, with the # the same, it makes more sense to block.

The dive lets you do it from farther away, instead of just adjacent.

Yeah. I just needed to get off the computer and get back to work. Thanks. So yes prone and move, or no? I closed the window as you were responding.

Edit: read gameplay. Thanks.

You had no reason to abort with him missing.

Hey, mdt - You mentioned earlier that you wanted us to put our rolls in a follow-up post to our actions due to the nature of the preview function.

Did you still want that?

I did not roll hit location, I am not sure which chart to use since I am attacking from below him but here is the roll.

Location: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 6) + 1 = 11

And forgot knock back:

Knockback: 7 - 1d6 ⇒ 7 - (2) = 5 minus one dice for target in air

Also, please double check my End usage, not sure if I need to use 2 more for punching?

Goo, since you're stretching and (I think) have options, what direction are you knocking him? I'd recommend back into the wall behind him, both since it's what'll cause him the most damage and also because (in the unlikely instance that I'm able to beat my ego roll next round) I could actually attack him there. (I can reach him just about anywhere in the silo that's within 1" of a floor/wall/ceiling.)

mtd, is there any way that Violet (or another character) could help me break out of my mental delusions?

Yes I would try to knock him towards the wall.

You only have to do the rolls in a second post if you have skill levels to allocate. Because they are flexible.