Aberrant: 200X - 200X: Myth Busters

[Warren Verona]

There was a question, I have the answer.

This post is devoid of personal opinions.

This post in not an ‘attack’ against any character or player.

All information is taken directly from the Aberrant Core Book, and the Aberrant Players Guide. This information has been checked, double checked, and triple checked.

There was some concern brought up recently that Aušrinė’s Mega Strength score could possibly become 7. I’ve researched it and discovered that Aušrinė cannot in fact have a mega-strength score that high.

Through the use Gravitational Field she does in fact gain +1 point of Strength and Stamina in any field that is .6g or lower (also everything weighs 40% less and possibly nothing at all at 0g). However, all powers in the Aberrant game inform you in their description as to whether or not that bonus increase will carry over into the mega range. The description for Gravitational Field makes no such reference that the increase to ability scores carries over into the mega range. Anything contrary to that last sentence is complete speculation and speculation is not canon.

Her Strength is 4 and her Stamina is 5. When she activates the gravitational field she her strength score increases to 5 but she gains no further benefit to her stamina. I will reiterate: the description for Gravitational Field makes no such reference that the increase to ability scores carries over into the mega range. For this reason her stamina remains 5.

The APG states that the ‘Extreme Density’ extra permits a cap Mega-Strength 6. This would require Aušrinė spend 5 quantum points boosting her Mega Strength from 1 to 6. (or 6 Quantum Points if she is not within a gravitational field and thus does not have +1 to her strength). Doing this also increases her effective weight 2,260lbs, an effect that’s often overlooked.

The only problem I discovered while researching this was that the ‘Extreme Density’ extra seems to assume the character is using the ‘fixed result’ described in the power errata in the APG, yet there is nothing on Aušrinė’s character sheet that states that she has opted to make use of that rule. Logically I could speculate that since she has the extra she must be using the option, however I’m not assuming anything. That is between Aušrinė and whoever cares.

So there you have it. Aušrinė’s maximum strength score is Mega-6. Still incredibly high but Sizemorph (Grow) permits you the same effect with 6x the weight handicap.

Myth busted.

[Flicker]

Thank you very much for doing that research and writing it up here. Doubleplus helpwise, comrade.

[Courier]

Very well done Rev. There's no reason that the +1 from Grav has to be applied last, nor that it ignores the other limitations put on those pluses (into mega range or past Q).

My only quibble (and it is a quibble) is I'm not sure what you meant by using Sizemorph to get to Mega-6.

[Warren Verona]

I was under the impression that Sizemorph (Grow) permitted a Mega-6 under the fixed result rule. After research, I discovered it permits neither Mega-6 nor the option for fixed result.

Disregard the reference to Sizemorph (Grow), it is inaccurate.

[SalmonMax]

Wha...Rev is really the Heineman in disguise!

...or Kari? Rawr.

[Aušrinė]

Wow! I didn't know this was under discussion! Thanks Rev for answering for me (and that's not being said in any kind of mocking way, I mean it, that was very courteous of you).

I would like to point out however that pg. 180, under the Description heading, states that any power that boosts an Attribute above 5 should be treated as a mega-attribute, but that no enhancements are gained. It further points out that a Mega-Attribute thus gained can never exceed 5, though they can exceed the normal Quantum Trait limit. The Extreme Density Extra for Density Increase is the only exception to this rule, and it states clearly that Mega-Strength can never exceed 6 through its use.

So, yeah, Aušrine can reach Mega-Strength 6. This does, as Rev pointed out, cost 6 QPs if she doesn't have her grav-field activated, or 5 QPs if she does. However, if she does have her grav-field activated, her Mega-Stamina is boosted to 2, and that does carry all of the normal benefits (1 extra Bruised Health Level, +1/1 soak, and the ability to heal 2 HLs per turn via the Regeneration enhancement rather than her normal 1).

Thank you, that is all.

Edit: Oh yeah! Also, because her Node rating is 2, Aušrine's expenditure limit when activating her DI:ED power is 10 QPs. So she can actually reach the enormous weight of 140,288 lbs., and add +10/10 soak to her chart. Good thing she has flight.

[Warren Verona]

I have verified the information on page 180 of the Core Book. Aušrinė’s Stamina score would increase.

The information on page 180 obviously would not be speculation as to whether or not an increase to an attribute carries over into the mega range. When doing my research I looked only at individual power descriptions. I overlooked the information on page 180.

Aušrinė’s stamina would increase to Mega-2 through the use of Gravitational Field.

[SkyLion]

If you read carefully the sidebar on Gravity Fields it states clearly that it does *not* add to a characters Strength. Because everything within the field can be of less weight it states that characters *operate* *as if* they had an extra dot of Str or Stamina.

It's a "virtual" increase. So even though Ausrine's "Mega Str" tops out at 6, She can "operate" as if she were one higher. In any case its moot since with the gravity field up anyways, she can actually negate an objects weight within the field entirely, therefore lifting an almost unlimited amount so long as it fits within the field's area...

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: The_Fool

It's a "virtual" increase. So even though Ausrine's "Mega Str" tops out at 6, She can "operate" as if she were one higher...

This makes sense in a RL way but physics is not our friend in abby.

Quote:

Aušrine can reach Mega-Strength 6. This does, as Rev pointed out, cost 6 QPs if she doesn't have her grav-field activated

Her Strength is 4, she has Mega-Str 1, and one dot of DI+Extreme-D.

DI-ED costs 3 to turn on and raises her strength to Mega-2.
It can be pumped for +4 costing +4q.

Unless I'm missing something (very possible) it should cost 7q to hit M-Str 6.

[Warren Verona]

Quote:

It's a "virtual" increase. So even though Ausrine's "Mega Str" tops out at 6, She can "operate" as if she were one higher. In any case its moot since with the gravity field up anyways, she can actually negate an objects weight within the field entirely, therefore lifting an almost unlimited amount so long as it fits within the field's area...

You do not have a 200X character and are not a participant in either the 200X Opnet nor the 200X Fiction section in any IC capacity. When you have a character with an established IC presence (not just a character sheet) then I will take into consideration your counsel.

I'm asking you politely to not involve yourself in any disscussion that I have begun until you have done the above.

Quote:

Unless I'm missing something (very possible) it should cost 7q to hit M-Str 6.

Yes, it would cost 7. However the goal was to bust the myth that her Mega score could reach 7. That has been disproven.

Those of you who wish to make this into a fifteen page debate plase do it elsewhere. I want to leave this topic clutter free in case others have questions concerning the mechanics of other 200X characters.

[Aušrinė]

It would cost 7QPs, my mistake. The fixed variant provides [Power Rating +1] automatic levels of success upon activation, plus one extra success per extra QP spent, up to a limit of how many QPs the nova has available (either the per turn spending limit for that particular nova, or fewer in the event that they have already spent the majority of their pool).

So Aušrine activates her DI:ED. It costs 3 QPs for a basic activation. This puts her at Mega-Strength 2, because 1 success is needed to raise her Strength from 4 ot 5. To reach Mega-Strength 6 she would need to spend 4 QPs above the basic activation cost, which would be a total of 7 QPs, not 6. If she's already activated her grav-field, then she has a starting Strength of 5, so a basic activation of DI:ED would raise her Mega-Strength to 3, whereas spending 6 QPs (the basic 3 for activation, plus 3 more for extra successes) would bring her to Mega-Strength 6.

So 7 QPs normally, 6 QPs when her grav-field is up.

Also, as much as I appreciate The_Fool attempting to argue that my character should be able to reach Mega-7, the rules on pg. 180 are very clear that Attributes raised through power use can never exceed mega-5. This ruling is all-inclusive, and so it would take a specific exception being made (as in the case of the Extreme Density extra) within a given power's description in order for that limit to be exceeded. Aušrine can reach Mega-Strength 6, but Mega-Strength 7 (mega-anything 7) can only be attained by her first reaching Quantum 6 or higher, and then raising her actual Mega-Strength from it's current rating of 1 all the way up to 7 (18NPs if I bought them all untainted, and representing over two years of RL saving, after first reaching Quantum 6). 6 is as high as she can go, and it is so expensive for her to do it that the longest she can maintain it is about a minute and a half in combat. Also, 6 is plenty high enough, thank you very much.

[SkyLion]

Re: Courier and Ausrine.

The language is clear. As I said, it doesn't increase the Str att at all, thereby not coming into conflict with the stated cap on actually raising mega atts. It says "operates as if." Thank You Courier for seeing my point. Ausrine, you and I spoke privately on this matter so I know we see eye to eye.

Re: Dave.

Uh uh. Sorry. No dice. You posted this up *because* of a comment I made in the chatroom. So yeah, I am going to comment in on the discussion.

And I will politely ask you to stop telling me where I can and cannot post. There have been others who are new who participated in discussion before these boards even went live. I am currently working on my first submission and am a poster here. I am sorry you don't like that but you do *not* get to tell me to shut up. Not anymore.

[Courier]

Thing is that if I was on the moon with Mega-Strength 5, *if* we're going to use something like real physics, I'd expect that I could lift 6x as much... but my clinch damage should still be 5[25] or so.

[Nova OOC]

Stay on topic, please. Off-topic posts will be moved to The Penalty Box.

[Johnny Khronos]

Originally Posted By: Nova OOC

Stay on topic, please. Off-topic posts will be moved to The Penalty Box.

We have a penalty box?

Really?

[Jael Carver]

200x does. It's here.

[Warren Verona]

Originally Posted By: Nova OOC

Stay on topic, please.

Apparently this concept is hard to grasp.

[Johnny Khronos]

Originally Posted By: Jael Carver

200x does. It's here.

Tres cool. I thought Nova might be indulging in hyperbole but there it is.

Thanks for pointing it out for me, Jael.