MnM... Help me create a super-sniper...

[RigaMortus2]

I want to create a sort of super-sniper. This bad guy will have a weapon that has telescopic sight, and can hit anything in sight (so I want to give it Range: Sight instead of the standard Range: Normal).

The sniper weapon should be able to hit anything it can "see" (hence the Telescopic Sight and Range: Sight) automatically. The target would have to then roll a save vs. Damage or take lethal damage. I want to give it Autofire capabilities and Area effect capabilities (can choose area effect or single target every time he fires the weapon). The weapon should do lethal damage only. I want it to also grant Darkvision and Penetrating Vision (it won't actually be able to hit the target if he is behind an obstruction, but he can still be tracked... and actually, if enough damage was done to the obstruction, I might rule that it is enough to possible hit the target).

I was thinking of making 2 things here. A Telescopic Sight scope (would have the device flaw) that can be attached to the sniper gun. This would also grant the Darkvision and Penetrating Vision.

Then the gun itself, which would have the Range: Sight extra, Area extra, and Autofire extra.

Would this be the way to do it?

If you feel so inclined to build this. Telescopic Sight and Weapon (Ranged) should both be +10 power rank.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Just call the "Telescopic Sight" a special effect of the increased range.

So here we go...
Energy Blast +10 (Super Science)

Flaw: Device (Sniper Rifle)

Extra: Extend Range to "Sight" (no flaw for Telescopic sight becasue the entire power (Energy Blast) has Device already and you can't have it twice)

Extra:Basic Attack Bonus (Flaw: Only Ranged) +10 (Weapon Quality)

PS: Penetrating Vision
PS: Penetrating

Extra: Area (Grenade launcher?)

Note: if the area effect is not a grenade launcher, but rather quick, precise fire at many targets; add the Selective extra as well..

Cost: 44pp (54 with Selective Extra)

 

[RigaMortus2]

Extra:Basic Attack Bonus (Flaw: Only Ranged) +10 (Weapon Quality)

What is this? How do you read this? -- What does giving Energy Blast a "Basic Attack Bonus" extra do? I understand that the flaw limit's it to range attacks only. What does (Weapon Quality) mean?

I only have the Core book, so if this is in an alt source (like Annual) I don't know it.

Oh, and how much does that all cost?

Also, what is PS: Penetrating? Do you mean Penetrating Attack?

Thanks!

 

[d4]

What does giving Energy Blast a "Basic Attack Bonus" extra do?

it gives your character additional BAB, up to an additional +10 BAB. note, however, that the maximum BAB you can have is limited by your PL. so if you are a PL10 character with a +6 BAB, this weapon would raise it only to +10 for you, not +16. if you were PL20 with a +6 BAB, this weapon would raise it all the way to +16, because that is less than your PL.

treating BAB and BDB as powers or extras is optional. i personally don't allow it as a GM, but others have. i don't think it's particularly unbalancing, i just don't like it.

Also, what is PS: Penetrating? Do you mean Penetrating Attack?

i would assume so.

 

[Teflon Billy]

treating BAB and BDB as powers or extras is optional. i personally don't allow it as a GM, but others have. i don't think it's particularly unbalancing, i just don't like it.

We break BAB (normally +3/lvl) down into Melee, Ranged and Mental (each at 1 pt/lvl)

We figured that with the universal BAB it was hard to explain why say, The Thing--a phenomenal HTH Fighter by any measure--was also the premier swordsman on the planet giving his +15 BAB. Or why Professor X, if he wanted to be good with his metal blast, needed to spend points enabling him to be an olympic level archer as well

We contemplated breaking Basic Defense Bonus down ito melle and ranged, but decided against it, as most folks who were Defensive in the comics were defensive agaisnt all attacks.

 

[Bagpuss]

The reason I don't like breaking the BAB down in that way is its 2 points back basically for free, since most folks only really need to be good at one of the three (melee, ranged or mental) anyway.

I might consider BAB a 3pt power, but allow a flaw to limit it to one (melee, ranged or mental) thus only getting one point back. But even then nearly everyone except mentalist would buy it that way.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I'm not sure which way I like it, myself.

Case in point, using the regular BAB rules for some Nocturnals characters I'm building:

Guido, the Synth Gangster has a high BAB ... his Mental AB is +7

GhostGirl, the Disembodied Mentalist has a low BAB ... her Mental AB is +5

I could raise GhostGirl's BAB, but it doesn't make sense and she doesn't have the PPs for it, with her other powers. Guido is never going to USE a mental attack, but it seems odd that if he got a Mental Blast Button or something like that, he'd suddenly be better at it than the girl whose bread-n-butter it is.

The other option I'm not fond of, either, as Bagpuss argues. I don't want those melee combat monsters pulling extra points out of Mental "just because". I'm almost considering making EACH type of BAB 3 points with the others as one-point Extras (which goes against canon of Extra = Base Power -1, but eh).

Probably not going to actually bother with it, but it's an idea.

--fje

 

[The Grackle]

I use the optional Combat skill, but I use 4; melee (weapons), range, unarmed, and mental.
If I didn't bother w/it I would at least sperate out mental attacks from BAB.

I don't know if I'd allow a BAB as a power/extra though. It's never come up. Maybe for a super sniper's gun, but not just a normal attack power.
----
There aren't too many powers useable in combat that automatically hit. Possession is the only one that comes to mind right now- I might require 2 extras for that instead of one, b/c it's really powerful. Using BAB as an extra is probably a better way to do it, if only because an attack power w/o an attack roll doesn't feel right. Assuming he has maxed BAB, and a 20 dex he'll shoot w/a +25 attack!

As for range Sight, that's good- no range penalties. Technically you could be shooting moon buggies w/this gun, but as part of the fx you could say such things are impossible.

Telescopic sight at rank 10, means you make spot checks at 1024 x 10ft =10240ft range increments. That might be more than you need. When aiming your sniper would have to take into account things like the curvature of the earth! Make a seperate power w/ Flaw:device, and Flaw:restricted-must be mounted.

As for Autofire, and Area I'd say those are "thematically inappropriate." Remember the snipers' motto is "One Shot, One Kill" I'd give him some other weapon that he uses at close range to defend his person.

Is this a villain? Your players are going to hate you.

 

[d4]

Using BAB as an extra is probably a better way to do it, if only because an attack power w/o an attack roll doesn't feel right. Assuming he has maxed BAB, and a 20 dex he'll shoot w/a +25 attack!

no -- if he had maxed BAB he wouldn't get any benefit from the BAB of the gun at all.

 

[The Grackle]

no -- if he had maxed BAB he wouldn't get any benefit from the BAB of the gun at all.

BAB is a skill (or like a skill) so it stacks w/powers.
Think skill + super skill, or BDefB + Super Dex.
Another example is the Luck power which can add it's power rank to an attack roll (+ BAB).

That's why making BAB as a power is so questionable. Super STR and Super DEX don't provide a bonus to strike for a reason- they were intentionally left off.