On Milestones, Reactions and Durability...

[woodster]

Howdy!
Cam and everybody else,
I'd love to hear what you think about the following:

(1) Milestones: Can one reach the 10 xp milestone without going through the 1xp and 3xp steps? Or each step is a prerequisite for the next one? Some datafiles imply so (Black Panther's A King needs a Queen), while others don't (Beast's Workplace Ethics).

(2) Here's a situation: Griffin is a character possessing Godlike Durability D12 and Teleport D12. He tries to teleport inside a transdimensional defense field (also of Godlike Durability) and fails. The Watcher spends a doom dice to use the reaction effect dice (a D8) to inflict physical stress on the character.

The Watcher's understanding is that Durability grants damage resistance, reaching near-invulnerability at D12 level (in game terms, a greater chance to beat the opposing die), but full invulnerabity requires a SFX (which effectively erases any type stress taken as long as the character spends a PP).

The Griffin's player disagrees with the stress taken, claiming that the damage inflicted (D8) should be eliminated by his power rating (D12 Godlike Durability). What do you think? "Whose Side Are You On?"

regards,

- Rafael

[Spatula]

Whatever happens in the game has to make sense in the narrative. So the question is really, could a failed teleport hurt the character? Judging by how teleport usually works in comics and sci-fi, I would say yes (the character's atoms are scrambled or something - it's not an external attack that would have to bypass durability). But that's up the GM and the group. The Watcher shouldn't be using effect dice to apply stress in situations where it doesn't make sense. Unless the action can be narrated so that it does make sense.

[Cam]

Since it's about a lot more than just one trait, I'd go with "you take that stress unless you spend PP to ignore it." You could make a judgement call as a Watcher, but the rules are set up to make sure that you aren't flat out automatically unable to be hurt, even if you have Godlike Durability. That takes either Invulnerable SFX or folks at the table agreeing that it just wouldn't do much to you (the situation, not any specific trait die).

For example, the Watcher might say something like "Colossus, you're wading through a horde of thugs armed with nothing more than clubs, tossing them left and right. We're not going to roll dice for that, you can clearly handle it. You do see Scalphunter and Blockbuster ahead, though. Who's going to get your attention first?"

But if you're going to roll dice for something, there should be consequences.

Cheers,
Cam

[Supplanter]

I've got a related question touching Invulnerability and Healing Factor. Note that I get that Invulnerability implies to the stress you're taking right now and KEEPS it from becoming stress, while Healing Factor applies to the stress you already took, and that Healing Factor takes an action, while Invulnerability does not. But on one level, each works as "Spend a PP to make [this category of stress under these conditions] go away.

Question: How much does the die-size of your related power trait matter? I have a notion that somewhere in the OM it says that it matters like this for the Healing Factor SFX: If your Stamina die size equals or exceeds your physical stress, spending the PP makes the stress go away completely, but if your Stamina die size is less than your physical stress, spending the PP just steps your stress back by -1. Is that the case, or do I misremember?

Then, with Invulnerability, does die-size of your Durability power trait matter the same way? e.g. The Thing has Godlike Durability D12, so if he spends a PP on Invulnerability he ignores this here incoming D10 physical stress. But Little Thing, his nephew from Earth-909 has Invulnerability, but only Enhanced Durability D8. So if he spends a PP on Invulnerability, does this here incoming D10 physical stress go away completely, or just step back to D8?

Thanks,


Jim

[chaosnet]

I think if it narratively makes sense for the teleporter to take stress then they should. Now the stress could be Physical (scattered atoms hurt), Emotional (confusion or anger at the tp not working), or Mental (I just don't understand why my tp doesnt work).

@Supplanter

I've had the same question about Regen and I use the if the healing SFX trait anchor (usually Stamina) is equal or higher than the stress then the 1 PP would clear it (which makes Wolverine incredibly tough), but if the stress is higher it would step it down.

I have heard podcast games where a PP is spent and the damage just "goes away", but it wasnt explained why.

[Cam]

Recovery in SFX works like it would normally, i.e. comparing die ratings. Wolverine can pretty much get any physical stress to just vanish with his healing factor. Invulnerability has no connection to Durability, though; you could have Enhanced Durability d8 and the Invulnerability SFX (we're renaming it to keep in line with Immunity, BTW) and still negate all of the stress.

For a somewhat grittier game, though, I could definitely see stepping it back if Durability wasn't as high as the incoming stress. That'd be your call at your table.

Cheers,
Cam

[Supplanter]

Recovery in SFX works like it would normally, i.e. comparing die ratings. Wolverine can pretty much get any physical stress to just vanish with his healing factor. Invulnerability has no connection to Durability, though; you could have Enhanced Durability d8 and the Invulnerability SFX (we're renaming it to keep in line with Immunity, BTW) and still negate all of the stress.

For a somewhat grittier game, though, I could definitely see stepping it back if Durability wasn't as high as the incoming stress. That'd be your call at your table.

Cheers,
Cam

Thanks, Cam. And it occurs to me the fellow with D8 Durability probably needs to spend the PP for Invulnerability somewhat more often than the one with D12 Durability anyway. So in that sense his Invulnerability is already "not as good."


Jim

[woodster]

Guys, thanks for the feedback