New Action: Muddle

[wayne]

Here's a simple one with some interesting results. Ironically, I can't think of a way to make it cheap enough to compete with Telepathy (is it valid to cost something at Action Number - 2 levels?)

MUDDLE
Cost = Action Number

Description
The ability to confuse and/or disorient opponents, by whatever means described... mental ability, noxious gas, warbling sounds, etc. Just so long as it throws your opponent's game off.

You may apply stones up to your Action Number toward a character (range 4) in an attempt to muddle them. (Split stones against multiple opponents.) If you bypass the character's mental defenses, the character is successfully muddled, and can be kept in that state for 1 stone per panel.

Being muddled gives a character three disadvantages: 1) all of their Actions receive a -1 modifier; 2) the character cannot make use of Ability bonuses, having to rely solely on learned skill; and 3) the character cannot make use of Concentration (or identical Actions.)

Comments
This Action can be surprisingly potent. Besides giving you (and your teammates) a slight edge over the target, you also remove his strongest Ability from the equation, and basically keep him from using as much effort as he normally could.

Rule for Modifier Box:

• Bypass mental defenses to successfully muddle
  
• Split stones for multiple targets
  
• Duration: 1 stone/panel
  
• Target is -1 to all Actions
  
• Target cannot use Ability Bonuses
  
• Target cannot use Concentration

[xavier]

The ability to remove Ability Bonus of actions is far more too potent. Imagine Hulk without strength bonus in close combat He is still super strong but he can't do attacks more potent than 3 ? That doen't make any sense.

[wayne]

Xavier said:

The ability to remove Ability Bonus of actions is far more too potent. Imagine Hulk without strength bonus in close combat He is still super strong but he can't do attacks more potent than 3 ? That doen't make any sense.

He could, of course, but he'd just have to use brute Strength alone w/o the Action to do so--and suffer a penalty for it. Picture the Hulk, on his knees, roaring and lashing out because he can't "see" through the muddling fog in his brain. An actual CC attack should either be redirected to Strength or, if he can think well enough to try to use that skill specifically, be seriously limited as he has no real, practiced fighting "technique" to fall back on.

Keep in mind though, the whole point of this Action is to cause mental duress to the opponent. They can still function, just not as well as normal. I guess I can rethink the cost--but honestly, I think causing mental duress is a lot less damaging than, say, possessing the enemy's mind (for not much more in terms of cost.)

-Wayne

[xavier]

Wayne said:

He could, of course, but he'd just have to use brute Strength alone w/o the Action to do so--and suffer a penalty for it.

Sure and that mean that your Action give him a -3 penalty (normal -1 described in your action -2 for using an ability instead of an action) and the maximum energy he can spend his reduced by 3 (since he don't use close combat).
This is not a little modifier for such cheap power.

Keep in mind though, the whole point of this Action is to cause mental duress to the opponent. They can still function, just not as well as normal. I guess I can rethink the cost--but honestly, I think causing mental duress is a lot less damaging than, say, possessing the enemy's mind (for not much more in terms of cost.)

It's not because telepathy is broken that all other powers must be broken too.

[wayne]

Well, I understand what you're saying, Xavier, so let me just ask: How would you price it?

-Wayne

[beyonder]

Well, it's at least a good idea, even if it does have some wrinkles to iron out. It'd be fun to apply this Action, or something like it, to characters with funny or ridiculous names/powers/costumes/battle-cries. I mean, the first time ANYONE goes up against the Walrus, Toastmaster, or Jolly Apple Giant (sorry, candyman), they'll be pretty debilitated for a Panel or two while they laugh 'til they cry. Unless they have the Humorless Modifier or Invulnerability to Silliness.

[xavier]

Wayne said:

Well, I understand what you're saying, Xavier, so let me just ask: How would you price it?

First, i forgot to congratulate you about the idea of this modifier. This is really a good idea. Myself, I was wondering about a way to handle special attacks like blinding lights or nauseating stench. This action is the response.

About the cost, i will handle it very differently.

- range 2
- the player spend stones into the Action up to the AN during the first panel (effects that occur during following panel don't require energy spending).
- the first panel, the opponent receives a negative situation modifier to his actions equal to the number of stones spent. The next panel and any panel thereafter this modifier is lowered by one until the sitmod is equal to 0
- the effect doesn't stack from one panel to another.
- unprotected heightened senses (like animal senses) became useless for the duration of the sitmod
- the character is immune to the same kind of attack

Options:
+1 cost for +1 range

Cost Number = AN+3