Area Attack on a Mob

[pksullivan]

I believe that is correct. It is the same principle as something like combining Damaging with Area Attacks; only one effect get stepped up (or 1 per 5 extra successes, if you get 10+).

Crap! That would undo Bill (Dunlaing's) Finest Moment! (Icing up 15 Sentinels in one attack.)


Jim

Why were Sentinels a mob anyway? Isn't that kind of hamstringing them? I picture them as much more powerful than mobs.

So to expand on the thought above, what if the 15 Sentinels WEREN'T a mob? Iceman could still do area attack, add 14D6 to his attack and keep 15 effect dice. Let's presume (for the moment) that he doesn't roll any opportunities (unlikely but possible). He's probably best served to shell out whatever plot points he has on hand to jack his total as high as possible. Sure, the Sentinels all get D6 complications but those complications could all be stepped up pretty significantly if his total is high enough.

Let's say Iceman's hypothetical datafile has him as team D10, he uses a distinction positively for a D8, and he's a combat expert. Ice Mastery D10 sounds right to me. Afflict and Area Attack sound like good SFX to me. Say there are 15 Sentinels on the field. Iceman says he wants to use Area Attack to envelop them all in sheets of ice. He's rolling 2D10, 2D8, 15D6 (+14D6 for Area Attack, +D6 for Afflict, though arguably Afflict could be interpreted as +14D6, as well). If he rolls remarkably well on that 2D10, 2D8, he could have a result as high as 36 on just two plot points. He gives a D6 stepped up to D8 complication to each Sentinel before any boosts from extraordinary success. That could be pretty epic. Best case scenario, the Sentinels would each have to roll a 21 or better to avoid being complicated out. Of course the odds of that best case scenario are incredibly, incredibly slim. But it's neat to think about it.

[Supplanter]

I don't remember.


Jim

[Mystrich]

So this thread made a question pop into my mind that I had never considered but, do you HAVE to use Area Attack on all targets?

In the case of targetting that mob, can I choose to only add 2d6 or something? I was under the impression you could use less (getting less effect dice, but also not getting as much risk for opportunities). Or do I have to hit every target/every dice when facing a group/mob/large-scale threat?

[EldritchFire]

So this thread made a question pop into my mind that I had never considered but, do you HAVE to use Area Attack on all targets?

In the case of targetting that mob, can I choose to only add 2d6 or something? I was under the impression you could use less (getting less effect dice, but also not getting as much risk for opportunities). Or do I have to hit every target/every dice when facing a group/mob/large-scale threat?

It's not specified, but I would let you add less dice if you so chose. One of the main tenants it seems is err on the side of fun. If it's less fun to risk that many opportunities, then don't!

-EF

[Thunderstrike]

You only add a D6 per extra target. Just target enough villains to add the 2D6.

[Cam]

Area Attack doesn't require that you target all opponents, or even all dice in a mob. Just target up to that much.

Cheers,
Cam