Aberrant RPG - Quantum Authority and Resistance

[metaphysician]

While doing some setting analysis/prediction, I looked up the rules for Quantum Authority, and noticed there is no listed resistance roll for the Suppress technique. Given this technique is basically "turn off all of someone else's powers", this seems an odd omission.

Would you allow a resistance roll of, say, Quantum + Node, or would you say "tough shit, don't screw with guys with Quantum Authority"?

[SkyLion]

I had a charachter (Envy) who had Invulnerability:Metapowers. It worked against Q forge, Imprint, Disrupt, Leech etc. and could probably apply to thoe higher level ones as well.

[Alex Green]

Would you allow a resistance roll of, say, Quantum + Node, or would you say "tough shit, don't screw with guys with Quantum Authority"?

Given who had it, and who it was used against, I suspect the game mechanics were more towards the later than the former.

[BlueNinja]

In my last group, when one PC got up to Q7 and bought that technique and power, the GM imposed a +(target's Quantum) difficulty to the roll. It's up to the GM; personally I wouldn't be adverse to allowing the target to roll Quantum+Node to resist; it's unlikely to grant them much of a resistance anyway, unless they're also Q7 types.

I think two novas with Q-Authority going after each other would be a nightmare.

[metaphysician]

In my last group, when one PC got up to Q7 and bought that technique and power, the GM imposed a +(target's Quantum) difficulty to the roll. It's up to the GM; personally I wouldn't be adverse to allowing the target to roll Quantum+Node to resist; it's unlikely to grant them much of a resistance anyway, unless they're also Q7 types.

I think two novas with Q-Authority going after each other would be a nightmare.

I tend to imagine most novas who develop such, probably also develop Invulnerability ( Quantum Manipulation ).

[BlueNinja]

I tend to imagine most novas who develop such, probably also develop Invulnerability ( Quantum Manipulation ).

That was not an option allowed to us by the GM. I specifically mentioned to him my desire to buy up an Invulnerability to cover powers like Q-Vamp, Q-Leech, and he said "That's not allowed. Suck it up." So I just settled for my Willpower 9 and my multiple dots of Psychic Shield and both broad categories of Invulnerability.

[metaphysician]

Huh, did he give any reason why? Because, really, I can't think of anything in the rules that'd prevent it.

[SkyLion]

Sounds like abusive power mongering sadistic ST you had there. I think you mentioned he actually killed one of your characters in an explosion that did some crazy ammount of damage and you were only 2 or 3 soak below dying. IMHO he should have fudged it....

[BlueNinja]

Sounds like abusive power mongering sadistic ST you had there. I think you mentioned he actually killed one of your characters in an explosion that did some crazy ammount of damage and you were only 2 or 3 soak below dying. IMHO he should have fudged it....

Same GM, and no, I'd rather he was honest about it. Mine wasn't the only PC to die, just the closest to surviving it.

His reasoning behind it was that essentially I was trying to ask him for Invulnerability (Quantum Powers) .... which I suppose was, partly, correct, only I was looking for it against specific powers. He felt that developing an ability like that depended too much on player knowledge, especially as we had not run across anyone with those sort of powers (except for our Q7 Q-Authority PC, the party leader). I wasn't happy with the decision, but I could understand his reasoning.

[Alex Green]

Huh, did he give any reason why? Because, really, I can't think of anything in the rules that'd prevent it.

I can. The examples in INV only cover soak and Willpower auto-succ. Most of the Q powers aren't defended against with Willpower.

[SkyLion]

Uh...yes they are. Q-leech, Q-Vamp, Disrupt, Dissimunize, etc. all are resisted by willpower. What brand are you smoking Alex?

[Alex Green]

Q-Vamp is sometimes resisted by Resistance, and Disrupt is resisted by Q+Node

[SkyLion]

Ah. Quite right, but in these cases Invulnerability still specifically adds auto successes to resistance rolls...

[Alex Green]

Add to that list Q-Imprint, which doesn't allow any resistance roll of any sort.

Ah. Quite right, but in these cases Invulnerability still specifically adds auto successes to resistance rolls...

That's one interpretation. It's even one I'd follow since I'd like to allow INV:Poisons as well. But if we're going to be really strict then we could say that INV only adds to soak or willpower rolls.

On the other hand, even if we're being strict the following should be legal.

INV: BC: Willpower resisted effects.

INV: Willpower resisted powers where Psi-Shield doesn't work

Although it's very important to point out that Theme is a serious issue with these sorts of things. How does a character develop a defense against something that he's never seen or heard of? How does a "fire" based character develop these sorts of things at all?

Generally speaking I'd say first he'd need to increase his willpower to 8 or 10.

[BlueNinja]

Although it's very important to point out that Theme is a serious issue with these sorts of things. How does a character develop a defense against something that he's never seen or heard of? How does a "fire" based character develop these sorts of things at all?

The character I wanted this for was an actor, and he already had Psychic Shield 3, Invuln(Kinetic)2, Invuln(Energy)2, and one dot of Thought Discipline, along with a Willpower of 8 (at the time I asked). The main theme behind the character was that he was so sure of who and what he was, it made it that much more difficult for anyone else to affect him. I was prepared for the GM to have an Invuln(Quantum-changing powers) affect the beneficial technique of Q-Authority, which our party leader used on someone just about every game session; instead he just shot it down.

[SkyLion]

INV: BC: Willpower resisted effects.

INV: Willpower resisted powers where Psi-Shield doesn't work

I disagree here on account of theme. There is no character ion the game who is going to think, "Hey! Im inulnerable to Willpower resisted effects! Good thing I have my handy core book here to flip though..."

Just like Q-bolt, Invulnerability needs a theme. Just like one can take Invulnerability to Mental powers one could take Invulnerability to what I call metapowers, or power affecting powers. I have made two such characters in the past and never had an ST disallow them. I guess they are out there but its a pretty solid theme and fits within the setting.

[Alex Green]

True... but it's presumably possible for someone to erupt with this sort of thing, and there are a few characters out there with the appropriate theme.

Of the characters I'm running right now, the only one who is even close would be Steve. He regularly rolls 17 dice to resist Mega-Socials. He already has every single Mega and a 10 willpower so Mega-Willpower isn't that far out there. If I get 5 dots of psy-shield I might try it, but I could not blame the ST for shooting him down (INV is a power and Steve generally speaking doesn't buy powers) and Steve's a long way away from that anyway.