DC Universe Online inspired game [OOC]

[Belial666]

The robots are modified Brainiac Overseers at PL11, for those of you interested in campaign trivia. They are attacking from total concealment so those of you who can't see them and don't have uncanny dodge or danger sense are vulnerable to their attack (dodge halved).
They start by spraying the entire group with Damage 12 (DC 27) plasma bolts with Multiattack. I'm assigning the rolled attacks by order of initiative on the rationale that the robots would hit first those of you that seemed the most immediate threat (not that that changes anything since they tried to hit all of you - just a good way to assign multiple attacks since they aren't supposed to know your stats). So, here are the attacks on the team;
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3521418/ http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3521419/ http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3521420/

Kal-El-astic: 16, 21, 23
American Patriot: 20, 25, 14
Arrowhawk: 18, 22, 24
Firewall: 25, 23, 25
Silver Shifu: 28, 14, 21
Seraphina: 18, 29, 13
Brainwave: 26, 29, 15

[Walking Dad]

Are you using the single or the multiple target option? The first only hits one target, without penalty and an accurate hit increases damage. The second doesn't increase damage and reduces the accuracy by 1 per target, but you can hit multiple targets.

[Belial666]

I am using the multiple targets option - which should tell guys with some tactics expertise something interesting (roll for it)

[Walking Dad]

Could it be there is something wrong with your math? If they are PL 11 and the Damage 12, their accuracy cannot be higher than 10. Even two targets (multiple targets minimum) would reduce this to a +8 bonus.

This is kind of important, as my character is defense shifted. If you at least attacked three targets, he would have avoided all shots, 2 if it were only 2 targets. If they are 3 and each had all 7 as target and they still shoot with accuracy 10, there base accuracy would have been 17. 17 + 12 (damage)= 29 (PL 14.5).

If not, you have to reduce each attack roll you posted by 7.

[Mark Reuter]

Yeah I am a little concerned as well. First of all, I thought that the penalties for being attacked from surprise were not nearly as severe as in 2e. Losing half of my defense (as a defense shifted character) is a little severe. I thought 3e made it a little more equitable.

Edit: The toughness saves are in. Just so you know, Kal is dead.

[Belial666]

Well, the book says that when you do surprise attacks the target is vulnerable - and vulnerable halves active defenses. Add in an all-out-attack and a circumstantial bonus or two (I wondered how fast someone would catch up the attack rolls didn't add up even without an expertise: tactics roll for knowing it IC) and ambushes or invisible attackers can hit hard.

I'm not sure how 3E is balancing that for heroes with high active defenses instead of high toughness but don't worry. The high-toughness guys are getting the short end of the stick in the very next fight. Besides, your group has at least four ways to equalize the playing field. Kal-El-astic for example can find them really easily and real fast.

[Walking Dad]

Well, the book says that when you do surprise attacks the target is vulnerable - and vulnerable halves active defenses. Add in an all-out-attack and a circumstantial bonus or two (I wondered how fast someone would catch up the attack rolls didn't add up even without an expertise: tactics roll for knowing it IC) and ambushes or invisible attackers can hit hard.

All right, forgot all-out attack (and didn't thought of a circumstance bonus, as the rules already cover the surprise and the robots invisibility. Maybe area familiarity?). And the question was ooc after you posted the stats the rolls and your intended PL 11 openly.

I'm not sure how 3E is balancing that for heroes with high active defenses instead of high toughness but don't worry. The high-toughness guys are getting the short end of the stick in the very next fight. Besides, your group has at least four ways to equalize the playing field. Kal-El-astic for example can find them really easily and real fast.

A bit late for Kal as he just died in his last IC post.

Edit: rolling a 2 instead of a 1 just spared Arrowhawk the same death.

[Mark Reuter]

The only thing Kal is doing is meeting his Maker. Kal is dead so unless you have an afterlife scheduled for this game in which Kal can participate, he isn't going to see the Toughness shifted characters getting their asses handed to them

[Mark Reuter]

Arrowhawk, you can only use a HP to reroll one roll per round. Now you can use more than one in a round, but only once for each particular use (ie. reroll, eliminating fatigue from extra effort, divine inspiration, powering a luck feat, etc.)

[Walking Dad]

Thanks, missed that and will retcon...
can you give me the page the rule is stated? I'm currently traveling and using an online source which seems to miss that rule (along with the "rolled 1 -> no re-roll").

(Or is it a house rule of this game I missed?)

[Belial666]

I didn't expect anyone to actually die in the first ambush - but a Hero Point can resolve the problem and yes, natural 1s can be rerolled. Not to mention that Hero Point rerolls have a minimum roll result of 11. Where did the "no natural 1 reroll" limitation come from? Maybe it was like that in 2nd Edition?

Fails by 3 degrees = bruised + stagerred
Fails by 1 degree = buised
Fails by 4 degrees = use hero point to reroll for 1d10+10 = at most failing by 2 degrees

You then even the playing field by hiding in plain sight/moving behind cover. They can't hit behind cover while you (with elongation) can. They are already concealed against you so hitting from behind cover won't give you any more penalties at all while keeping you safe till you regen.

[Mark Reuter]

OK well technically, I don't have the 3e rules. I am going by the 2e ruleset, in which you couldn't use HP for the same thing in the same scene. I cannot reference a 3e rule by page number. I would assume that, with all that they changed, they would want to keep some things the same. I could be wrong.

[Belial666]

Well, that explains things.

Yes, you can reroll. Yes, you can reroll more than once provided you got the HP. You could even spend a Hero Point to use a "Counter" maneuver with one of your powers without needing to prepare it ahead of time.

[Mark Reuter]

I didn't expect anyone to actually die in the first ambush - but a Hero Point can resolve the problem and yes, natural 1s can be rerolled. Not to mention that Hero Point rerolls have a minimum roll result of 10. Where did the "no natural 1 reroll" limitation come from? Maybe it was like that in 2nd Edition?

You didn't??? Are you serious???? You have a defense shifted character with a toughness of 7 going up against three DC 27 toughness saves. And you didn't expect anyone to die????? Secondly, I don't have the 3e rules so I am still in a 2e mindset. Natural 1's always missed and couldn't be rerolled.

[Mark Reuter]

Actually the last result was a five degree failure, not four.