Energy attack problems...

[mroberon1972]

I was noticing that energy attack might have some problems with some combo's:

If you choose Long Range and Cone attack, you can effectively gain an attack that hits a cone about 600 feet long and wide, and doing 1d6 damage over that area, for 8 hero points, at fifth level!

Anyone else starting to twitch yet? I just saw kobolds needing asbestos armor! Forests defoliated, cities burned to the ground! CATS AND DOGS, LIVING TOGETHER! MASS HYSTERIA!

<ahem...>

How about making them purchase the Line and Cone modifiers for each range level? That would cost for a cone (1d6 damage):
Close (6 points, 3rd level minimum)
Medium (10 points, 7th level minimum)
Long (14 points, 11th level minimum)

This would at least slow down the "power word, NUKE!" aspect of it to at least 11th level user.

Or perhaps Cone should just be limited to close, Line to Medium, and Ray to long as maximums?

Also, I noticed this power was missing a burst effect. Did you have a reason from playtest to not have it, or was it just not one that came up? I added for my players a 3 point cost Burst area. Has a base radius of 5', and costs 1 point per 5' radius increase.

 

[RangerWickett]

That's a really good idea. In superheroic fighting, the difference isn't too great, but against large amounts of canon fodder, or against the landscape, long-range cones would be hideous, yes.

Anyone want to weigh in? I'll definitely keep this in mind as we work on revisions and errata.

 

[mroberon1972]

Hey! RW!

Hey! RW!
Is there a timetable on this new supers book your putting out? And is this going to be a rewrite of the old with more powers, or just a powers book with error corrections?

 

[Great Cthulhu]

A player could generate such a 'Kobold Kalamity!' power, but at first level its hardly worth it. Your going to be overlyspecialized. No defenses to speak of. And if your Hero is caught flatfooted by those same Kobolds all the cheese powers in the world will not save him. Even the damage of 1d6 is not guaranteed a kobold kill.

So

1) Waste of points.

2) Not effective in enough situations

3) Low level Heros will not be able to do anything else

4) does look cool though

5) is bad news for the landscaping...so ticks off high level druids.