I know that the Rule of 3 caps the damage dealt in HSS option 2 to 4, excluding critical hits, objects, etc.

However, can I keep making attacks in the hopes of rolling more critical hits to increase damage? Also, the Ro3 would cap the target's defense at DV+3, too, wouldn't it? So if I have, say Vet Black Adam, and I HSS#2 a character with a DV of 13, I roll to hit 13, 14, 15, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16... until I roll less than 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5... Then, I take 4, add the number of critical hits, and that's the damage?

So, what I'm getting at is, HSS #2 can still do unlimited damage, but you have to roll the criticals to do it. And the chances of failure at any stage after the fourth are lower than they were before Ro3, because the DV of the target is capped.

Does this work?

Got it in one.

does ro3 even apply to hypersonic speed?

Yes.

The Rule of 3 will apply to both the target's defense and the attacker's damage when performing a HSS Option 2 action.

yes, but the Ro3 only applies to Combat Values. Critical Hits add to Damage Dealt not Damage Value therefore the Ro3 does not apply to Critical Hits.

I realise Ro3 caps the targets defense after a +3, but (aside from critical hits) I can now only do 4 damage total because I hit, hit, hit, hit feeze and have to stop (unless i wanna try for double 6's?)

The damage value is capped at 4. The damage dealt is unlimited. So with a heavy object and 1 crit you would do 4 + 2 +1 =7. The Damage value will never ever be above 4.

Just to clarify; that's damage value, not damage dealt. So you can still swing away for days (till you miss); but you'll never hit for more than 4 per swing right?

So (assuming you don't miss), you can still deal quite a bit of damage with HHS, right?


Vegah

Not really. When you stop attacking with HSS Option 2, you deal damage equal to the attacker's damage value (plus critical hits and and objects.) You aren't doing 4 damage per swing, but rather your damage value will cap at 4. So if you make 10 successful attack rolls, your damage value will still be 4 and you will be dealing 4 clicks of damage (plus objects and critical hits.)

Not sure if you were unsure, but yes, you can keep making attack rolls till you miss in an attempt to roll a critical hit. Or...doubles if they haven't come up yet so you can do Knockback.

So, gamers, if doubles don't come up on your first three attack rolls and you want to do KB, by all means keep rolling until you miss. The odds are actually pretty good that doubles will come up on 2d6. If you don't want to do KB, my advice would be to stop as soon as you do the damage you need to (for you dial memorizers out there).

Why is it capped at 4 and not your natural damage +3?

Damage Value drops to 1 at the start of option 2, and the Ro3 maxes the 1 being raised to a 4.

I just re-read the universe PAC and nowhere does it say that. All it says is, at the end, the damage dealt is the number of hits made. I would posit this would be capped at natural damage +3. Black Adam could do up to 6 damage.

ah ok. <sigh> the FAQ, altering instead of clarifying.