Aberrant RPG - Boost

[Alex Green]

(Branched off from another topic).

Boost is a very underrated power.

Example:

Joe Nova has...

5 Luck (5 nova points)

1 Boost (Str + Dex) (5 nova points)

Q4 (5 nova points or zero with 6 points in flaws)

On Average:

Luck gives him two succ.

Boost gives him two succ.

And he can pay a point of willpower for a succ.

So he jumps from Str & Dex of 5 to Mega-Stat 5 for the first 5 rounds of combat.

Granted he doesn't get any enhancements, but he doesn't really need any, and he might have paid only 8 nova points for this. It's hard to go wrong at this point but since we are building a burn character I would buy....

1 M-Wits (Quick x2) (6 nova points)

1 M-Dex (Enhanced Movement) (3 nova points)

If he doesn't win by round 4 he should run away (at warp speed).

Note that this is only 17 nova points with a taint of 1.

This character concept has problems....

1) Every time he pulls this he has to spend willpower.

2) Dice are quirky. A bad roll on his 10 dice might give him only +2 or +3.

3) He sucks his first round or two of combat (he might have a forcefield to activate as well, and he does NOT want to be turning on boost with split dice.)

...but then again, all character concepts have problems.

[knave]

::blink There's a problem with the DMD?

[Alex Green]

There's problems with the "I'll stand there and take it" concept.

He is also slow, socially inept, can't deal with some types of attacks, and can't deal with some types of characters (flyers are especially difficult).

Experience could/will/has offset this to a degree, but only to a degree.

The DMD has been center to some of the more notable defeats in that game.

Djinn made him switch sides.

The NK Army 'pinged' him almost to death (twice).

And he has run out of juice once or twice.

And this isn't the Prof building things to take advantage of my weaknesses. He does have other weaknesses that just haven't come up.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Luck to grant extra successes for a power? Not in my games that's for sure! ::blink

[Alex Green]

I'm not sure what the book says exactly, but the way I've seen it done Luck adds to pretty much to any roll (exception: Attack Rolls only grant extra dice).

It's one of the most flexible powers in the game... but the "once per scene" thing tends to slow it down, as does the 'only when you roll dice' bit (and note it costs juice to use).

The characters I've run with it tend to only use it out of combat (i.e. as a game mechanic). In combat I don't know what the "critical" roll is so it stays in reserve.

Example: If you are in a fight with DVNTS it would suck if you had already used your luck to dodge "Tank" when Anna zaps you with her MindBlast+Agg.

[knave]

There's problems with the "I'll stand there and take it" concept.

...but then again, all character concepts have problems.

This is a good thing.

He is also slow, socially inept, can't deal with some types of attacks, and can't deal with some types of characters (flyers are especially difficult).

You said he has decent WP - which means he is not THAT socially weak vs social attacks. Beside which, being socially human is rather fun. Look at the whole Nezumi arc.

Experience could/will/has offset this to a degree, but only to a degree.

The BFG - yeah.

The DMD has been center to some of the more notable defeats in that game.

Djinn made him switch sides.

Could have happened to anyone. You happened to be scariest. I believe the defeat was leaving The Major alone. And that was really the result of the player quitting. So not a defeat in the end.

The NK Army 'pinged' him almost to death (twice).

And needed heavy lasers to do it. Face it, however tough a character is, the GM has to give him (or her) competition or at least opposition on every mission. Otherwise - no fun. No GM is going to let you be completely invulnerable... which is why the whole 'let's make super dooper ultra wowzer' characters using every loophole in the rules metality leaves me a bit cold.

And he has run out of juice once or twice.

An occupational hazard for every character.

And this isn't the Prof building things to take advantage of my weaknesses.  He does have other weaknesses that just haven't come up.

Some people don't need to have their weaknesses taken advantage of - they can just get womped on normally ::tongue

IMHO DMD is greatest for his 'Oh my God! It's the Dark Matter Destroyer!!!' Godzilla Cool factor. ::biggrin

[ProfPotts]

I'm not sure what the book says exactly, but the way I've seen it done Luck adds to pretty much to any roll (exception: Attack Rolls only grant extra dice).

Not quite...

It's one of the most flexible powers in the game... but the "once per scene" thing tends to slow it down, as does the 'only when you roll dice' bit (and note it costs juice to use).

The characters I've run with it tend to only use it out of combat (i.e. as a game mechanic). In combat I don't know what the "critical" roll is so it stays in reserve.

Example: If you are in a fight with DVNTS it would suck if you had already used your luck to dodge "Tank" when Anna zaps you with her MindBlast+Agg.

Okay, that's not how I read the Luck power at all:

Luck has a duration of 'Permanent' - it specifically doesn't cost any QP to use. Once the character has the power, he is always more lucky than any normal person (barring a Luck botch that is!) - the roll each scene is just a way for the game-mechanics to represent that extra luck without allowing permanent & predictable results - luck being a fickle b!tch & all that.

Luck can be used for three specific things - Combat rolls (specifically to make & determine the effects of attacks, & for all defensive-type rolls); Ability rolls; & Background rolls - this is clearly stated in the power's text. So, no general power rolls get the Luck bonus - only attack or defensive rolls that happen to involve powers.

The bonus for Luck isn't applied just once per combat. The Luck roll can only be made once per scene (i.e. the player can't keep rolling until he gets a maximum result - it's one roll & he's stuck with the results for the whole scene) - but the results of the roll apply each & every round of combat - distributed as the player sees fit each turn. E.g. a character with Luck 5 who rolled an average two successes at the start of a fight could apply those two successes to an attack (as extra dice), apply them both to a defense, or apply one success each to an attack & a defense in a turn, & could alter that allocation turn-by-turn. The key point is that the character only gets his total Luck bonus once per turn.

Applied to Ability or Background rolls out of combat the Luck bonus is only applied once - or divided between different rolls - in a given time frame. This means you can't, say, repair a car as an extended Engineering action & expect to get the bonus on each & every roll you make - you get the bonus once for the project as a whole. Since characters have a lot more time to get stuff done in an average out of combat situation, this makes sure that the Luck power isn't abused. However, note that the time-frame per application of the Luck bonus is up to the ST - a character disarming a series of bombs thoughout a building would most likely get the bonus once per bomb - he just wouldn't get the bonus multiple times with a single bomb ('cos that would make it just about impossible for a character with a Luck bonus to fail at anything).

This may seem a little powerful for a Level 1 power at first glance, but Luck can only ever have a pretty minor effect - even with five dots in the power a character only averages a bonus of two: Luck at less than five dots will be an occassional help, not an overwhelming advantage. The power's usefulness is further restricted by the 'bad luck' rule for botched Luck rolls - take a low amount of dots in Luck at your peril!

Note also that a character shouldn't be able to spend a Willpower point for a free success on his Luck roll - the roll is a game-mechanic representing how his constant Luck effects the currant situation, it's not an 'action' & therefore can't benefit from the free success rule - which applys specifically to 'actions'.

[PowerStar]

I remember a minor NPC who's power was all about pumping-up others. I think his Nova Name was The Enhancer...or something like that. I recall he had Boost for each Physical, and one for Appearance. His Boost had(obviously) the Affects Others Extra. He also had Nova Proxy and Flight and a Force Field. He would "Rent" his powers to us before a mission..for a price. 1 favor and 1/4 mil. from the time we got "Enhanced". Still, it was worth it-barely. Scary time. Never again. We went into XWF after that. Still it was nice to have the extra Mega-Strength,Dex, and Stamina. ::cool

[ezekiel]

An NPC that pumped others and was called the Enhancer? Sounds like something for the Bugman movie plot... ::wink

Btw, what kind of favors? ::tongue

[ProfPotts]

... Scary time. Never again. We went into XWF after that...

Where there is the only official NPC who does exactly that - get paid to Boost other people before fights! Are you sure your ST wasn't messin' with you?.. ::lookaround

Not that STs do that sort of thing... ::halo

[PowerStar]

Re: Enhancer, There were a few. Some Utopian (We're Terats) 1 Aberrant (that we even know about) and 2 "Independants"(1 of whom was in bed with the Heven Thunder Triad-the "Fee" was explained as "a single favor" that "might require some unauthoried entry to Baharain" ) I'd almost rather tell Pax what I think of him-After he has a hold of me!The Enhancer was the remaining independant. We still eventually went and busted into Baharain for our fellow Novas, but only after 15-16 months of Game time, 1 Chrysalis (for 2 of the 5 of us) and around 100-120 XP (each) in total changes. Big difference. We still had trouble. Still it was nice to have the Boosts when we went in as well (It was a free-bee from the Aberrant booster, who wanted Corbin safe). The Total Boosting we did was fairly minimal, between the cost in money and in favors as well as the Storyteller letting us know that the more we got Boosts, the more our Opposition would-for Game Balance. As it went, we did succeed, but it was tough. I look back and figure the efforts and difficulties to be about even. We did lose a few times but we learned from those losses. The best thing is that we players had fun! I don't like cake-walks (well, maybe once a year-just for the giggles) but the prices that were paid for the Boosts were large. It does make some sence if you look at basic supply/demand. Many Novas can kick butt. Very few can make you kick butt better. The cost of Elites is high, why would Boosters get less for a service only they can provide. That is how it was explained to us by the ST. I made sense, so we quit b!tCh!n and got on with the story.

[Alex Green]

The cost of Elites is high, why would Boosters get less for a service only they can provide. That is how it was explained to us by the ST. I made sense, so we quit b!tCh!n and got on with the story.

That's the supply part of it.

The problem comes from the demand part.

Can he easily sell it to the other side? Is he immune to physical/social/finanical pressure? Will you die if you don't have it? Is there personal risk on his part?

For elites, the answers to all those questions is "Yes". Elites sell something that lots of people want, and not buying it has large undesired results that can include losing the war, getting killed, etc. On top of that the profession is very, very risky.

Boost may be unique, but unless you *have* to have it the cost should be less than an elite, not more.

That guy who boosts scrubs for the XWF makes good money, but Tor make a lot more.

[metaphysician]

Not quite...

Okay, that's not how I read the Luck power at all:

Luck has a duration of 'Permanent' - it specifically doesn't cost any QP to use. Once the character has the power, he is always more lucky than any normal person (barring a Luck botch that is!) - the roll each scene is just a way for the game-mechanics to represent that extra luck without allowing permanent & predictable results - luck being a fickle b!tch & all that.

Luck can be used for three specific things - Combat rolls (specifically to make & determine the effects of attacks, & for all defensive-type rolls); Ability rolls; & Background rolls - this is clearly stated in the power's text. So, no general power rolls get the Luck bonus - only attack or defensive rolls that happen to involve powers.

The bonus for Luck isn't applied just once per combat. The Luck roll can only be made once per scene (i.e. the player can't keep rolling until he gets a maximum result - it's one roll & he's stuck with the results for the whole scene) - but the results of the roll apply each & every round of combat - distributed as the player sees fit each turn. E.g. a character with Luck 5 who rolled an average two successes at the start of a fight could apply those two successes to an attack (as extra dice), apply them both to a defense, or apply one success each to an attack & a defense in a turn, & could alter that allocation turn-by-turn. The key point is that the character only gets his total Luck bonus once per turn.

Applied to Ability or Background rolls out of combat the Luck bonus is only applied once - or divided between different rolls - in a given time frame. This means you can't, say, repair a car as an extended Engineering action & expect to get the bonus on each & every roll you make - you get the bonus once for the project as a whole. Since characters have a lot more time to get stuff done in an average out of combat situation, this makes sure that the Luck power isn't abused. However, note that the time-frame per application of the Luck bonus is up to the ST - a character disarming a series of bombs thoughout a building would most likely get the bonus once per bomb - he just wouldn't get the bonus multiple times with a single bomb ('cos that would make it just about impossible for a character with a Luck bonus to fail at anything).

This may seem a little powerful for a Level 1 power at first glance, but Luck can only ever have a pretty minor effect - even with five dots in the power a character only averages a bonus of two: Luck at less than five dots will be an occassional help, not an overwhelming advantage. The power's usefulness is further restricted by the 'bad luck' rule for botched Luck rolls - take a low amount of dots in Luck at your peril!

Note also that a character shouldn't be able to spend a Willpower point for a free success on his Luck roll - the roll is a game-mechanic representing how his constant Luck effects the currant situation, it's not an 'action' & therefore can't benefit from the free success rule - which applys specifically to 'actions'.

. . .luck works that way?

::scared

I totally didn't realize that, I thought it was one usage per scene. . .

[BlueNinja]

. . .luck works that way?

::scared

I totally didn't realize that, I thought it was one usage per scene. . .

He's right. ::blink

[metaphysician]

As an aside, I figured a usage of Boost that would let my character, Hermes, do about 48L.

Okay, he's got alot of stuff, but the important things he already has are: Quantum 5, Mega Dex 5, Str 3 Mega Str 1, Hypermovement 4, Enhanced Movement, Martial Arts 5.

So, buy up:

-Rapid Strike

-Claws 2, Weakness: Only with Boost, Only for Hyperspeed Attacks

-Boost ( Strength ) 2, Weakness: Only for One Turn, Only for Hyperspeed Attacks

Max boost, spend wp, and you should get about six sux on average. That ups his Str to Mega 5. Do a hyperspeed rapid strike on an enemy.

5 Str + 25 Mega Str + 5 rapid strike + 4 hypermovement + 2 enhanced movement + 2 claws + up to 5 attack sux = 48 lethal damage.

Basically, the Infinite Mass Punch of Flash fame.

[Alex Green]

Be careful here.

Claws only adds to Martial Arts and Brawl, so you have to use Hypermovement Technique: Hyperspeed Slam which is based on Brawl. I'm not sure Rapid Strike works with H-speed Slam.

But even if it doesn't, it's still pretty impressive.

[metaphysician]

Be careful here.

Claws only adds to Martial Arts and Brawl, so you have to use Hypermovement Technique: Hyperspeed Slam which is based on Brawl. I'm not sure Rapid Strike works with H-speed Slam.

But even if it doesn't, it's still pretty impressive.

Ah, but its not using Hyperspeed Slam, but Hyperspeed *Strike*. If you used Hyperspeed Slam, the numbers would be a bit different. Or are you saying Hyperspeed Strike can't be used with Martial Arts?

And my GM's ruling is Rapid Strike works with Strike, but not Slam. Makes sense. You often in comics have a speedster barrage someone with punches at high speed ( even when running by them, they sometimes are going so fast they make multiple pass-bys ), but not so much when they move through the target with their shoulder.

[Alex Green]

Ah, but its not using Hyperspeed Slam, but Hyperspeed *Strike*. If you used Hyperspeed Slam, the numbers would be a bit different. Or are you saying Hyperspeed Strike can't be used with Martial Arts?

And my GM's ruling is Rapid Strike works with Strike, but not Slam. Makes sense. You often in comics have a speedster barrage someone with punches at high speed ( even when running by them, they sometimes are going so fast they make multiple pass-bys ), but not so much when they move through the target with their shoulder.

I mean I'm not sure Hyperspeed strike is based on Martial Arts, it might be based on Flight or Hypermovement or something.

[metaphysician]

I mean I'm not sure Hyperspeed strike is based on Martial Arts, it might be based on Flight or Hypermovement or something.

I'm pretty sure it uses Martial Arts, but in this case, it doesn't matter much. Using Hypermovement would just change the dice pool by one die, which is no big deal.

[SkyLion]

Was snooping around the graveyeard like any good (evil) necromancer and just wanted to point out that for the same points you could buy density increase or even DI: extra: extreme density, which for strength is far more reliable a way to boost.

[Alex Green]

Strength is easy... the other stats are harder. With the example of Core you can even boost powers.

[SkyLion]

True...though since you have to pick at most a power or two, I have found it better in my number crunching to spend points on upping the power I would boost. ie. Why buy boost Q-bolt) when the same price will just give you more q-bolt?

[metaphysician]

Depends on how high a Quantum rating you have. If you've already got Quantum 5, thats an average dice pool of 6 for a single point of Boost, or 2-3 dots worth of boosting.

Generally, though, I'd say you either want the L3 variant ( to boost several things at once ), a limited L1 variant ( so your paying peanuts for a single specific type of boost ), or an Area version ( boost yourself and your friends ).

[Alex Green]

Keep in mind that you can drop a willpower point on Boost. So in theory with Q5 you average +3.4 (with a willpower point). Also keep in mind that other figured power rolls aren't recalc'ed.

Also when using exp Boost is cheaper for getting that 3rd, 4th, or 5th dot in a mega.

So you could Boost(Dex and Stam), put both at 5, then make a Forcefield roll which would stick. Increasing your Dex * Stam to mega-2 is pretty cheap and for that price you'll pretty much always get mega-5 in both when you need it.

[SkyLion]

Hmm, well that is interesting. I was thinking with NPs though not xp. If I have NP to spend, why pay for levels in boost or even more expensive L3 boost when for the same price (or cheaper) I can just buy up the atts? Had this same problem with absorbtion (Since you can only add dots equal to your absorbtion power rating its cheaper in NP to just buy up the power. Also with the Absorbtion Q cost per soak, its not the most efficient defense power. Slightly off topic in a way but Absorbtion also allows boost like effects.)

I have experimented with both powers in chargen and it alwasy made more sense to just buy up the power or attribute and have it on permanently...

[Alex Green]

For nova points, that's true, but only if you're planning on never spending exp. In addition in a high exp game it's of questionable usefulness, but in a low exp game Boost and Absorb are going to be very strong.

RE: Absorption

It gives you a small pump to your stat and a small bit of soak Agg-Proof soak. "The Staff" had it feeding into his dex.

The Math:

6 Nova Points buys you...

A) +2 Mega-Dex

+1 Mega-Dex and +1 Absorption(To Dex)

With Option "A" it'd take 25 experience to increase your Dex to 4.

With Option "B" it'd take 10... or 15 if you get an extra for Absorption.

Moving to Dex 5 would take an additional 20 exp for "A" but only 10 exp with "B" (i.e. you'd end up with M-Dex 3 and Absorp 2).

On a side note I should point out Absorption's soak, since it costs quantum, is of less utility than Regeneration. With Regen you only need to spend quantum 40% of the time, i.e. on a successful damage roll. Where Absorption can rock is if you get RDQ on it. At that point you can negate "ping" damage for zero quantum.

As with all characters the total build is what's important. Boost and Absorp don't work well with all characters, as opposed to a dot in Mega-Strength for example, so we don't see them used all that often.

[metaphysician]

::blink

I'd never thought of that Absorbtion trick before. Will have to pass that along to Bc, Artemis could *totally* exploit that. . .

[BcAugust]

::blink

I'd never thought of that Absorbtion trick before. Will have to pass that along to Bc, Artemis could *totally* exploit that. . .

Oh, True, and I thought about Absorption for the damage soak, at least(Hey, I can always use more soak). The problem is deciding what it should feed into, I'm already maxed or close to it on my various physical stats. And I usually use my shapeshifting to make up the gaps.

[metaphysician]

Hmm. . . how about have it feed into a Q-Bolt based power, representing 'The Wrath of Nature' or some such? Perhaps with limits to represent the fact that it can *only* be fired off once its been charged up to a full five dots via Absorption.

[BcAugust]

Hmm. . . how about have it feed into a Q-Bolt based power, representing 'The Wrath of Nature' or some such? Perhaps with limits to represent the fact that it can *only* be fired off once its been charged up to a full five dots via Absorption.

Huh. Add area to that, and it would be about perfect. aka, a counter to her infrequently seen Healing Volley. And I do have the xp for at least some of that. At least, it would be something that I can see Mark approving, though expensive to finally get. But, considering that charging it up to five would take Absorption five, I'd likely be better off buying my Claws up first.

[metaphysician]

Ah, right, I forgot. . . wait, you sure Absorption has a cap? I thought all lower ranks in Absorption did is reduce the amount you could absorb at once?

[SkyLion]

as far as the boost function of absorbtion, you can only increase the trait by a number equal to your power rating. So if you have Q bolt 1 and Absorbtion 1 you can boost to Qbolt 2. If you have Qbolt 2 and absorbtion 2 you can boost to Qbolt 4...