NOTICE: This site has been archived. All content is read-only and registration is disabled.

A new site is being built and the Basic Action Games Discord server is an active hub for discussion and games.

-Admin

Clarification on Scan

Let's talk about the very awesome BASH!
User avatar
Sunslinger
Mystery Man
Mystery Man
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:00 pm

Post by Sunslinger »

I am with you - in general.

I like it to make my players think though and find creative conclusions to problems and like to create situations you cannot solve just rolling on one of your powers. And in my opinion Scan allows a hero/group to go around obstacles by using a power on a big scale. Finding a secret base in Oregon? Might be done with one roll if you know any detail about it. Find the abducted friend? Yawn. One scan and you know where he is.

Sure you can plan with that and only play out the battles to be fought or "adventures" where somebody has means to counter the scanner/teleporter. But evenings full of finding clues are - more often than not - reduced to one roll. This I don't like. And this is my point ;)
User avatar
Sunslinger
Mystery Man
Mystery Man
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:00 pm

Post by Sunslinger »

I came up with a house rule on scanners. After thinking about the responses here for my tastes the original Scan rules are fine on a cosmic scale but too powerful for the "normal" supers up to World Class. So I just reduced the ranges:
The difficulty of scan rolls is modified by the area you are scanning. If scanning an area up to the size of a big house, the difficulty is halved. If you scan an area the size of a block (this includes a skyscraper, train e.g.) the difficulty is not modified. If scanning a larger area the difficulty is doubled. The maximum reach of the Scan power is a radius equal to the power level in miles.

The areas stated in the rules require the Long Range Enhancement that is available in cosmic and futuristic settings.
User avatar
MrJupiter
Cosmic Hero
Cosmic Hero
Posts: 1505
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:00 pm
Location: Trenton, Ont. (Canada)

Post by MrJupiter »

Yeah, I definately like these alternate scan ranges. Cool stuff. Thanks!
User avatar
urbwar
Cosmic Hero
Cosmic Hero
Posts: 1086
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 11:00 pm
Location: Gresham, OR

Post by urbwar »

You could also adapt Resistance/Immunity, so that it affects scan rolls as well as affecting damage rolls.
User avatar
Marve
Sidekick
Sidekick
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:00 pm

Post by Marve »

kevperrine that was just beautiful *claps*
User avatar
Deecely
Sidekick
Sidekick
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:00 pm

Post by Deecely »

Hello! This is my first post here, and it's a quick question:

Is Scan a power that can be resisted by another? I'm running a mentalist, who has a Scan (2) with a limitation that it affects living minds only (no computers, robots, unliving things, or inanimate objects). Since I'm searching for "people", who can resist many other powers, can they also resist the Scan?

If so, do you think the Scanner would feel the resistance, or would the resistors just go undetected entirely?

Thanks! Also, BASH! is an incredibly awesome gaming system. That is all...
User avatar
BASHMAN
All-Father of Bash!
All-Father of Bash!
Posts: 2585
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:00 pm

Post by BASHMAN »

I'd let people who didn't want to be found have a roll.

First, however, I'd secretly roll off to see if the person KNOWS they are being scanned for. If they don't detect the scan, they won't be able to put up a mask against it.

Mainly, I'd limit this to characters with Mind Shield or some similar power.
User avatar
MrJupiter
Cosmic Hero
Cosmic Hero
Posts: 1505
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:00 pm
Location: Trenton, Ont. (Canada)

Post by MrJupiter »

Hey Deecely. That's a cool idea for Scan. The roleplaying game Villains & Vigilantes had the ability to do this built right into the Telepathy power. I had forgotten about this idea.
User avatar
Deecely
Sidekick
Sidekick
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:00 pm

Post by Deecely »

Thanks for the advice and the compliment! I had planned on trying to pair my character's Telepathy with this Mind Scan power somehow, such as first "pinging" for minds with Scan, then reading them with Telepathy.

Now, I'm thinking that they are really two totally different powers separated by scope. Scan acts like a broad radar giving area-based info, while Telepathy requires line of sight and is more like a laser, giving very precise info about someone.

Than again, Scan gives someone the ability to learn a lot about a single object very quickly. Does this make the mind-reading aspects of Telepathy redundant, in this case?
User avatar
Supertodd
Sidekick
Sidekick
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:00 am
Location: Northern Illinois
Contact:

Post by Supertodd »

^Looks like a spammer. Three posts, all about the link to a website.
User avatar
MrJupiter
Cosmic Hero
Cosmic Hero
Posts: 1505
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:00 pm
Location: Trenton, Ont. (Canada)

Post by MrJupiter »

Supertodd wrote:^Looks like a spammer. Three posts, all about the link to a website.
Hey, welcome to the site! I do believe that you are right about the spamster. Normally its the "WOW Gold" guy. I can't say that its great to see a fresh face (referring to the spammer, that is - true BASH-fans are always welcome).
User avatar
BASHMAN
All-Father of Bash!
All-Father of Bash!
Posts: 2585
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:00 pm

Post by BASHMAN »

Banned and canned. Another one bites the dust.
Post Reply