Hey all. I had a question about combinations for Incapacitate. I believe you can use Charge or Running Shot with Incapacitate. Just as you can combine Charge or Running Shot with Exploit Weakness or Psychic Blast. So my question here is can you make a Incapacitate attack with Stunning Blow and Exploit Weakness?

Sometimes it makes my head hurt which combinations are legal and which just don't fit under the language of the rules. Attacks and Actions and the like. Is there a limit to the amount of effects you can do at once if the rules language makes it ok? Any help clearing this up would help. Thanks to all.

No, incap and EW both require their own separate close combat actions to activate.

First things first, don't try to memorize what combos work and what combos don't. If you can remember a few key concepts, your life will be much easier.

It's worth the time-investment to go over what kind of action each power is and what kind of action/attack each power grants.

It won't take very long before you start to see that there are basically just:

-Power Actions
-Ranged Combat Actions
-Close Combat Actions
-Ranged Combat Attacks
-Close Combat Attacks

Understand how they interact and you'll be able to answer any question like this that comes up.

For example, looking at the PAC, we see that Charge is a Power Action that grants a free Close Combat Action. Therefore, it is compatible with anything that is a Close Combat Action, like EW, Incap, or Quake. I haven't committed that list to memory, I just know that they are CCActions, so they will work with Charge. Knowing the "why" of the interaction allows me to quickly know that Haymaker also works with Charge, b/c it is a C.C.Action. (See how trying to remember ALL the combos would quickly become impossible... we haven't even gotten to Special Powers yet )

Something like Pounce or HSS does not grant a close combat action, but merely a close (or ranged, in the case of HSS) combat attack. So powers that require a C.C.Action to activate are not compatible.

So to answer the specific question, no there is no limit to how many powers can stack up. Just pay attention to the wording, and you'll be able to figure out what works and what doesn't in no time.

Here's your homework.

Seth's about to release a new LE of Doop from the X-Statix.

Through various Special Powers, Doop starts out with the following on top of his dial:

Charge
Flurry
Blades/Claws/Fangs
Exploit Weakness
Steal Energy
Super Strength
Incap
Close Combat Expert

(Yeah, Seth's a bit of an X-Statix fanboy, but who isn't) My question to you is, what is the maximum number of powers you could employ in a single action, and what are they?

What he said.

I will take this challenge

Charge (Grants Close Combat Action as Free action)
Exploit Weakness (Is a Close Combat Action)
Blades/Claws/Fangs (Activate Whenever A Close Combat Action is Given)
Super Strength (Use object you are holding as long as the attack is not a zero damage attack)
Steal Energy (activates anytime damage is dealt by this character from a close combat attack)

So a total of 5 Powers could be used together.

My only question would be if the Damage Modification from super Strength would be added before of after the replacement from Blades?

ok..i just did this for fun and i'm AMAZED. you can charge/flurry/blades/steal energy with super strenght or charge/blades/steal energy/exploit with super strenght is this right??? i didn't go into the other ones. i just know that those two would be nasty.

And, if Doop had Leap/Climb (how could I forget Leap/Climb?) he could do all this against a soaring character. Six powers in one action.

Well, the rule of thumb is "replace, then modify" when a modifier and replacement would happen at the same time. I guess it would depend if the blades roll replacement technically takes place after the successful attack. I would think from the wording that you would indeed roll for blades and then add the object bonus.

Fortunately, we don't have to worry about this... yet.
That is right, sir.

Incorrect. The object now adds to the damage value as soon as you pick up the object, but only for close combat. Thus, the BCF would replace the SS character's object-boosted value.

It's the same reason SS no longer works with Pounce (in most cases), because the object breaks the prereq. of 2 damage.

Based on the rulebook and PAC, a figure with both SStr and B/C/F would not get to add the bonus for the object to the B/C/F roll since the object bonus is applied for the attack, (which would be the same as the timing for SinSyn and Batman Enemy AV replacement, during the attack before the attack roll) but the B/C/F DV replacement roll is only made after a successful attack roll. The object modifier is applied at the beginning of the attack and is therefore over-written by the B/C/F replacement.
Your answer is correct, but the reasoning behind it is not. As quoted above, object modifiers only apply during the attack, not for the entire time they're held, or through an action. The ruling you referenced is based solely on 'intent' from GD, but is unfortunately not supported in any way, shape or form by an actual rule. Based on the timing of object and feat modifers, only ICwO and Contingency Plan (when used to increase the Pouncer's Damage Value above 2 at least) should prevent a figure from using Pounce, because they have specific timing for the application of their modifiers which is outside the norm.
[RANT]If an object causes a 2 damage figure to violate the prerequisites of Pounce, so to should Pounce cause itself to violate its prerequisites on a 2 damage figure. The timing is the same for both modifiers.[/RANT]

Perplexing the DV above 2 would also prevent a figure from Pouncing, as we already know, but Perplex has timing outside that of feats and objects.


BoT