Drain- an often overlooked power.
First, let's compare it to nullfiy. Nullfy, when targeting a person, uses the GREATER of their power level of the power or their will save. Drain affects fort save (though with alt save the type of save is irrelevant).
Drain can be used to drop that pesky will save down and be used in conjunction with nullify, or to reduce regeneration or nullify (which due to the number of ranks might not be POSSIBLE to nullify!) and effectively make it usesless.
Drain isn't permanent like nullify can be- and it isn't used to turn off power effects on people, but when it comes to just combat uses, drain can be just as useful, if not moreso. Besides, if you drain the will save and the powers, it's that much easier to nullify the powers!
Again, you can use alternate powers to really get a lot out of this power, rather than spending all your points getting it to 5 points per rank. 2 points per rank is enough to break most things. Besides, you don't need to REMOVE the power- you only need to drain it down to the point where you'll always be making your opposed check (attack roll, saving throw, power level check, etc).
Also, drain doesn't have to be big to be useful. You can boost up the DC (perhaps with powers such as all out attack) and have even a low rank drain be useful. Pull out those alternate power feats! Pull away an extra from a power. Immunity can become quickly useless if it goes from rank 30 to rank 29- depending on how the points were spent!
Not a huge power, certainly doesn't have the SAVE OR DIE issues with powers like transform, and it doesn't affect innate powers, but it's not a bad one on its own.
Odd and most likely stupied question....how would a life-drain work
ReplyDeleteLife Drain could mean a couple of things:
Delete1) Something to drain "health" away, which is a damaging effect, not drain. It could be a perception-blast with flavor text of "your life is draining".
2) It could be a Drain effect on Toughness or Constitution, which is like your "life force" and would lower your fortitude and toughness saves (thus you being "weaker").
3) It could be an aging effect, adding years to the victim's life. I haven't seen a power specific to age- so either it's affecting your physical stats (due to you being old an weak), potentially increasing your mental stats (like in D&D when you age) or lowering the amount of "time" you have until you die. This is probably best done as a Transform Effect with limiteds on it, where you can only transform someone into an older version of themselves. Of course, aging immunity is very cheap to purchase, and your age has no real mechanical effect in mutants and masterminds. Note also that some creatures gain more powerful with age historically, like undead and dragons.
well i have an aura that has the descripter life-drain and have been trying to figure out what it would do exactly
DeleteDid you build the character? Where did the aura come from? Is this from a book?
DeleteIf I had to guess, I imagine it would be the damaging effect to whoever was in your aura (usually touching you). There is an extra that allows you to heal conditions based on what damage you deal, so that might be on there as well. Usually I have people write out what powers from the book are involved in the power they create so we know what it will do.
Dark Aura from the M&M power profile book. but i only found it while using hero lab to build my character for a buddies campaign.
Deletejust dont have what they say life-drain should do
Deleteif you find anything else great it will be helpful but for now i will talk to my gm bout your original thoughts and hope he lets me use it. Thank you
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