Damage verses Weaken Toughness

[grod_the_giant]

Why do some powers use one verses the other? I'm looking at things like the EMP power from the Electrical Powers profile (Weaken Electronics, Affects Only Objects, Broad, Burst Area,Simultaneous).

[Beleriphon]

Why do some powers use one verses the other? I'm looking at things like the EMP power from the Electrical Powers profile (Weaken Electronics, Affects Only Objects, Broad, Burst Area,Simultaneous).

Damage does damage, as in aiming to destroy something. Weaken reduces the effective ranks of something.

At rank 10 on a Weaken you subtract up to 10 points from any effect with the Electronics descriptor within its area. So if you as GM Decide that a Iron Man's repulsors, his sensors, his flight and any other powers are "electronics" then all of them lose up to 10 points. In many cases his can cancel them out entirely if they are inexpensive enough, or cut their utility in half.

Damage on the other hand, would work just like Damage.

Weaken is a utility effect, and can be very useful in the right circumstances, but is very much descriptor based.

[Doctor Devious]

Note the use of the word "points" there: it's a reduction of power points, not ranks. So cheep traits are easier to weaken than expensive ones.