Alternate Rule: Power Lock

POWER LOCK

 

In comics, sometimes two powers collide in a brilliant display of energy. This, is power lock.

This is an alternate rule which can be used in place of countering powers. Two parties on the same initiative that attack each other with a powers that could realistically counter each other. Fire and ice, even fire and fire. The two collide and the people are in power lock.

Each Round you are in power lock, you can move as normal, but only in 5 feet increments. You can strafe, go backwards, or go forwards (usually in an attempt to find cover). If you get behind cover, the power lock ends and the opponant's power hits the cover, which takes damage as normal from the effect.

As a standard action, you can attempt to overpower your opponent. Make an opposed power level check between your two powers. Victory means your opponent gets a -1 to his power's power level for the duration of the power lock, or you get +1 (up to double the original value). Falure means that the opponent gets either +1 to his PL or -1 to your PL. One one of the powers reach zero, the loser takes the full force of the modified power level attack (automatically hits), which could be up to double the original power level. A natural 1 by either player automatically lowers their PL by 1 (in additional). A natural 20 by either player automatically lowers their opponent's PL by 1 (additional). So if you roll nat 1 and your opponent rolls nat 20, your PL is -2, and then they win, so they can apply an additional -1 to you or +1 to themselves.

You can instead, as a standard action, withdraw from the contest, taking the full force of the opponent's power, which automatically hits.

This can be used with ranged powers or perception powers.

Perception powers can go in power lock also.

Extra effort can be used to increase your PL by 2 for the duration of the combat, and may be used multiple times (once per round), just as hero points can allow for a reroll of the opposed power check. You may want to allow for knockback rules for the defeated opponent for added flavor.