Thoughts on charge object at range

[reff]

I was brainstorming a character who could (if they were touching each other) charge say a line in the ground to a dumpster, the line in the ground would explode in a cool fashion like a row of blackcats and then the dumpster would go up like if I had touched it myself. Gambit has shown a limited extent of this when he charges chains (a series of touching but not truly connected links) and I was wondering how I might go about doing this in the MURPG system. I had concidered just taking charge objects and adding the 'works at increased range' advantage but the description of charged objects says that it works like ranged combat.

your help would be appreciated.

[sphynx]

I'd recommend just using Charge Objects as-is. Remember, all actions/modifiers are listed as 'Examples'. Take an Action that fits your thing, and adjust it to mirror the action as much as you can. In this example, a simple +1 for Ranges would be acceptable by most GMs.

Sphynx

[bluethunder2013]

Yea, I thought the book had an advantage like "plus something to use this at range" But I'm at work and can't check, I'd think just addeing+1 levels for each level of range you wanted should be just fine.

[reff]

yeah but that would just increase the range at which I could throw say a card. I wanted to increase the range at which I could charge the object. So say if my opponent was standing next to a bus, I couldn't lift the bus and chuck it at him, but if I put enough stones into it I could charge the bus next to him.

[Scriptus]

yeah but that would just increase the range at which I could throw say a card. I wanted to increase the range at which I could charge the object.

I think that +1 to cost level is fine especially with a power that is already so expensive.

Another option is found in the Drain Energy write up. It charges a +2 to work at a range of 2.

[sphynx]

+1 at most I'd say. The thing is, when Gambit Charges something, it doesn't explore on a molecular level, quite a few pieces are wholly intact. Usually though, he's charging things small enough that the extra-care to "aim" the explosion is not needed. When he does a dumpster attached to a chain, he simply 'focuses' what part of the whole object explodes. Just like I'd allow him to explode the tip of his staff in an attack instead of the whole thing exploding in his hand. Now, if someone wanted to lay their hand on a street, and make a car explode, I could see going +2 or more. But it sounds like Reff only wants to 'aim' the part of the object he's charging, so that the part on the other side of the line is the part that explodes. I don't see how that is outside the normal scope of the power. +1 just insures that a GM doesn't decide to explode the whole object. Anytime I want to insure a specific effect that should be doable with an Action, I just add +1.

Sphynx

[reff]

nah, I really was going for charges objects at range, like lay his hand on a street and have a section of it explode under them, or have the car next to them explode. Just the visual is so cool. I've just always liked super-powers with obvious collateral damage. Powers you have to be careful with not to hurt your friends. So you think +1 for each range increment? or would that be too powerful, beacuse say a car has a pretty hefty weapon modifier.

[Scriptus]

it would take a lot more energy to charge a car than a playing card. + 1 is probably fine. The disadvantage comes with the amount of energy you have to spend to actually charge the car. (probably 4 stones because of its weight)

[storlock]

I'm not sure I'd charge anything, I mean, whats the actual difference between charging something in your hand and throwing at a target (which the action allows for) or charging an object at range which is already next to the target?

If anything, charging at range is more difficult in game, I mean, you have to find a suitable object that is already there, and then a way to transfer the power to that location.

On the other hand, I can see it being abused, for instance, lay your hands on a road and cause someones shoes to explode, totally negating reflexive dodge, but thats just smart play really. equally, I'd put limits on how many things the power is transfered through before it charges the object. place your hand on the couch so the power travels down to the floor, into the building, accross the street, up another building, onto the TV ariel, along the wire tied to it, and then charging the pulley the thief is sliding away on seems extreme...

It would also have to handle things like making a phone call, then transfering the energy through the phone network and blowing up the phone handset on the other end (hmm... I see an idea for an assasin character...)

I'd say no additional cost for this, but for each "object" the energy travels through it adds 1 to the difficulty and resistance which is taken away from the final explosive effect. That then gives the GM the rights to nerf certain transfers, since for instance a phone network can be counted as thousands of seperate objects, although maybe a +2 cost option to negate this if transfering energy down a specific medium like phone cables.

[reff]

Instead of giving a resistance for each object, I gave the limitation that it must travel through non-organic material (which it kinda destorys) and gave it a range limitation of 3. In your example of the buildings, despite the fact that the buildings are like 10 feet away, I cannot hit someone beacuse the only non-organic path would be longer than a range of 3

[Manticore]

If you remember, Gambit actually had something like this at one point, when "New Sun" artificially expanded his mutant powers.

Anything he charged like this would have an area effect. It would also have some kind of weapon modifier, perhaps +4 for a car. However, someone with this power would have to put more energy in in order to charge a large object like a car in the first place...

[reff]

well that depends on how you see the power. I see 1 stone able to charge any reasonable object possible, just not with much force behind it. Otherwise, the weapon modifier doesn't seem to count very much. And area of effect comes free on charged obj.

[ranger]

Hehe, 52 card pick...
Yeah - spend 4 stones to charge +4 object = pain...
Spend 4 stones to charge a (non-modified) 52 deck of cards = BIG AREA EFFECT..!