APS Light and Personal Force Field

[filo_clarke]

So I have a player that has selected the major power APS Light, but he was concerned that he wouldn't be able to carry anything/anyone out of harms way if he needed to. As a result he took the minor power Personal Force Field. I had no problem with the choices until a question came up: What if he used his "Laser Flight" which states that "a body block does no damage but results in a shower of sparks" while his Personal Force Field is engaged? A body block travelling at 1600 km/h per level would be extremely distressing to the target. But while in APS Light form he doesn't have any mass. However, a Force Field must have some kind of "mass equivalent?", since force is determined, partly, by mass...?

This one has got me puzzled. By game rules a super speed character inflicts +4 damage per 20 mph, giving him a body block damage bonus of +200 per level. Granted this would destroy his Personal Force Field temporarily... but still! At later levels he could bring buildings down, or bash through tanks!

I was thinking of allowing only as much damage to be inflicted as his force field can withstand. Sort of a "transfer of force being limited by the integrity of his force field". His first level Force Field is about 50 SDC, and gains +10 per level... so that isn't too bad.

But I'd like to know what you guys think.

[Glistam]

First, APS: Light allows you to fly even when not transformed, so it doesn't seem like there was a need to add the minor power, though I think it's pretty thematically cool.

Your limitation seems reasonable.I'd also consider as a solution that the character just couldn't fly at those speeds while the force field is up. With speed restricted, I'd consider using the Sonic Flight or Rocket Fists powers for guidelines on high-speed ram damages.

[wyrmraker]

i would personally rule that, with his force field on, he would be limited to a rough top speed of 150-200 mph due to air resistance. Performance car manufacturers call this "aerodynamic speed limitation".

[eliakon]

I would rule that when he turns to light for the jump to lightspeed... he also turns his force field into light.
It will flick back into substantiality when he 'lands' but it has no more mass than he does between locations.

[Daniel Stoker]

Eli's method works but on a 'they both stay on and are the same' I'd think as soon as he flies more then a few inches at those speeds that he's looking at having blown through the SDC of his force field due to air friction.


Daniel Stoker

[Stone Gargoyle]

I would rule that it is turned off when he is flying. It would break up at high speeds anyway.

[Pepsi Jedi]

i would personally rule that, with his force field on, he would be limited to a rough top speed of 150-200 mph due to air resistance. Performance car manufacturers call this "aerodynamic speed limitation".

This would seem to be a well rounded answer.

1) The char took the force field to be able to carry things while light. So this would allow him to carry them at 'standard' flight speeds (Like flight winged or wingless)
2) It would prevent the 'abuse' of ramming someone at light speed for kinetic impact of dramatic porportions.

So it gives the char the ability to carry things as long as he's tooling around at "super hero flight speed' but it cuts the force field if he cranks it up past that limitation. So he can keep his fast flight, just can't carry/ram at that speed.

[Stone Gargoyle]

i would personally rule that, with his force field on, he would be limited to a rough top speed of 150-200 mph due to air resistance. Performance car manufacturers call this "aerodynamic speed limitation".

This would seem to be a well rounded answer.

1) The char took the force field to be able to carry things while light. So this would allow him to carry them at 'standard' flight speeds (Like flight winged or wingless)
2) It would prevent the 'abuse' of ramming someone at light speed for kinetic impact of dramatic porportions.

So it gives the char the ability to carry things as long as he's tooling around at "super hero flight speed' but it cuts the force field if he cranks it up past that limitation. So he can keep his fast flight, just can't carry/ram at that speed.

I agree now that I look at it more sensibly. As long as the character is moving at lesser speeds, the force field would work but would not hold up at higher speeds.

[VR Dragon]

I really like this concept. Gives me a fun idea for energy beings and how they can interact with a physical solid world.

[Sir_Spirit]

For carrying things around as light Id take Swallowing Limbo from PU3 Combine those with Conduct electricity and you can stop a car and absorb someone as a ball of light, then let them back later and as far as they know they were abducted by aliens("Last thing I remember I was driving along and the car stopped working, then I saw a bright light and then it was hours later! I Swear!" ).
This would be most useful for geting someones parole/bail canceled. But also makes catching badguys easier...