How works "Burst" SFX?

[zinc]

It says:

Step up or double a POWER TRAIT die against a single target. Remove the highest rolling die and add 3 dice for your total

Any example, please?

[N01H3r3]

It says:

Step up or double a POWER TRAIT die against a single target. Remove the highest rolling die and add 3 dice for your total

Any example, please?

Ok, it's 1942 and Captain America is hurling his shield at a Nazi soldier, using the Ricochet SFX (which is simply Burst with a different name). He takes the shield's Weapon d8 trait, and either steps it up to d10, or doubles it to 2d8. Then, he assembles his dice pool and makes the roll. When determining the results, he discards the die that rolled highest, and then picks three of the dice that remain (rather than the normal two) to create his total.

So, he uses Team d10 (the group of soldiers he's leading), Lead by Example for d8, Enhanced Strength d8, Weapon 2d8 for his shield, and Combat Master d10. He rolls (in the order I've listed them) 5, 2, 8, 6, 8, 3. He discards one of the 8s (as the highest rolling die), and then picks 8, 6 and 5 for his total of 19, using the d10 that rolled a 3 for his Effect die.

[Spatula]

What N01H3r3 said. I just wanted to add that you're going to want a really big dice pool when using this SFX, as to get its benefits, you will need at least 5 dice (1 to discard, 3 for the total, 1 for effect). And you'll probably want 6+, to guard against any 1's.

[zinc]

Ok, Thank you very much

[Nestor]

Resurrecting this thread, due to my encountering this SFX as I'm facing the opportunity to actually play in a MHP game.

So if I'm understanding the mechanic right, using the Burst SFX pretty much requires the character to either:

A) have two power sets, or

B) have one power set with the Versatile SFX, or

C) spend PP to add dice to the pool.

Am I correct? And if so, doesn't that further limit Burst's effectiveness, especially considering the fact that rolling any 1's will effectively scuttle the action?

[Supplanter]

Burst works well with any of:

* two power sets
* Master or Grandmaster specialties
* extra dice from stunts, assets, resources, opponent stress or complications


Jim

[pksullivan]

Dice don't necessarily need to be added. Remember that you can split specialty dice down (Master D10 can become 2D8 or 3D6; Expert D8 can become 2D6).

Every character gets their affiliation, distinction, at least one power, and a specialty (if the last two can be wrangled, which they usually can). The specialty can always be split so you can easily get five dice. If you choose to double the die for Burst, you've got five dice. Doing both gives you six without having to spend any plot points. A second power set (like Cap has) can give you another die. That's up to seven dice before activating any other SFX that may add more dice.

If your action can reasonably justify using two Master specialties, your power point should go toward buying that second one. It can be split into 2D8 for free.

Let's take Cap's example from above: He's on a team (D10, as he leads his commandos), Leading by Example (D8 distinction), he throws his shield as a Weapon (D8) with his Enhanced Strength (D8) and has it Ricochet (double the D8 from Weapon), and he's a Combat Master (2D8). So going in Cap has 1D10 + 6D8. That's not a bad pile o' dice.

If Cap had a Plot Point, he'd have a few more options, like adding in another Super-Soldier Program trait (easy to narrate Enhanced Reflexes, as he needs precise timing for the move to work). That adds another D8, but so would adding in acrobatic expert (with appropriate narration of how he is leaping over a standing tank and hurling the shield mid-air as he twists to avoid fire from Nazi gun emplacements) or psych (his squad is laying down covering fire on Cap's orders so he can pull off his crazy maneuver).

If it's narratively appropriate, he could use Last Ditch Effort to shutdown Enhanced Stamina (he's winded after a long fight) or Enhanced Strength (used his last reserves of strength) to step-up or double his Enhanced Strength for the roll (add a D8 or step up a D8 to a D10). Spending a plot point on Last Ditch Effort gets him both (add a D10 and step up a D8 to a D10). Let's say he blows the plot point, that brings him to 3D10 + 5D8. Quick 'n dirty math tells me that Cap can, on average, expect to keep a total in the area of 15 with a D8 effect die.

In short, I don't think characters will be hurting for the dice as long as they are designed with the limitations of Burst in mind.

[Spatula]

So if I'm understanding the mechanic right, using the Burst SFX pretty much requires the character to either:

A) have two power sets, or

B) have one power set with the Versatile SFX, or

C) spend PP to add dice to the pool.

Am I correct?

No, I don't think so. Like I said before, you want at least 5 dice in your pool, and more is better. 6-7 is probably a good minimum, to guard against 1's. How you get that many dice in your pool is irrelevant.

And note that the SFX allows you to double your power die.

Affiliation + distinction + power die (doubled) + specialty is already 5 dice. Throw in an asset, another power die (via multipower or versatile or a 2nd power set), your opponent's stress, your opponent's complication, and/or split your specialty die, and your pool is in good shape.

[Doc Hydrogen]

Burst works well with any of:

* two power sets
* Master or Grandmaster specialties
* extra dice from stunts, assets, resources, opponent stress or complications

Jim

Hey Jim,

What's a Grandmaster Specialty?

[pksullivan]

I believe it's a house rule for a D12 (or 2D10 or 3D8 or 4D6) specialty. It's one of the first things people started asking about and house ruling when the game came out. Conversely, there's the "apprentice" or "novice" D6 specialty. My understanding is that it represents people who are the best in the universe at a particular thing - like Champion of the Universe.