ORICHALCUM UNIVERSE: Flux bolts and other battle applicati..

See this thread for an explanation of the Matrix and the Flux in my
universe: http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.frp.gurps/browse_thread/threa...b6d6e8d

Though the power of the Flux is immense, it has a few drawbacks in
combat, not the least of which is that it's relatively slow compared
to using the 'innate' power derived from psionics. There are ways
around this, such as using the Flux to 'duplicate' psionic Power, as
described in the aforementioned thread, but even that takes more time
and effort than using 'native' power and is more dangerous and
tricky. A powerful fluxon can overwhelm a small army when the
conditions are right...but not instantaneously.

This led the master fluxons of the Antediluvian Age to develop
specialized applications of the power of the Flux for such uses.
These techniques could make the difference between survival and death
for a fluxon, given the slightly unwieldy nature of the Flux as a fast
tool and weapon.

The most common single attack technique used by the Antediluvian
fluxons was the ‘flux bolt’. This is a Controlled Manifestation, with
a slight difference. It works just like any other Controlled
Manifestation, as described in the previous thread, but with the
condition that it has a delayed activation. When it is activated, it
manifests as a stream of destructive psychokinetic energy, usually
flowing from the hand or eyes of the fluxon (actually appearing just
above the surface of those parts of the body), and directed by a the
thoughts and gesture-direction or gaze-direction of the fluxon. The
range and power of the bolt depend on the preparations of the fluxon
beforehand.

In GURPS terms, a fluxon prepares a flux bolt just as with any other
Controlled Manifestation. S/he begins by using Flux Awareness to
contact the Flux, and Flux Mastery to impress his/her desires onto the
Matrix, using Flux Points as necessary. The Matrix (i.e. the GM)
makes the usual reaction roll, if everything goes as the fluxon hopes,
the result is that a potential flux bolt manifestation exists, waiting
for the fluxon to decide to use it. Note that a Flux-bolt is a fairly
simple effect, all in all, and one of the easier things for an
experienced fluxon to make happen, so the penalties overall are low,
unless other circumstances are in play.

The GM should assign penalties and bonuses as usual, but with the
additional consideration that the stronger the desired potential Flux-
bolt, the higher the penalty on the reaction roll, and thus the more
Flux Points necessary to cancel the penalty. As a thumb rule, a
‘basic’ Flux-bolt will have a range of 3d hexes and do about 3d damage
to everything it touches. At a cost of -5 on the reaction roll (and
thus a cost of 5 Flux Points to offset this penalty) _either_ the
range or the intensity of the potential Flux-bolt can be doubled, both
can be doubled for a -10 penalty. They can be doubled again for
another -10, and so on, up to the point that the penalty cost on the
reaction roll exceeds the fluxon’s _unmodified_ Flux Mastery skill.

This process can be repeated to ‘store’ up additional Flux-bolts, up
until the number of stored Flux-bolts equals the fluxon’s _unmodified_
Flux Mastery skill...but for each Flux-bolt stored, the character
loses one Flux Point entirely until that Flux-bolt is expended. (Thus
a fluxon could ‘carry’ a large number of Flux-bolts, at the cost of
greatly weakening his/her other Flux abilities while s/he does.)

Note that locations matter! If a fluxon creates a Flux-bolt in a
location with a high background Flux Rating, the resulting Flux Bolt
gains double range and double damage _for free_. This is _cumulative_
with intentional efforts by the fluxon to increase the potency.

EXAMPLE 1: A fluxon with Flux Awareness 35 and Flux Mastery 33 and
100 Flux Points decides to arm himself for battle. He uses the usual
techniques described in the previous thread for Controlled
Manifestation, spending 30 Flux Points in the process, and he ends up
with a Flux-bolt that has a range of 6d and intensity of 6d. (That
is, when he uses it, it will have a range of 6d hexes and do 6d damage
to whatever it touches in its path (one hex wide)).

If he rests and waits, he can repeat the process to add another Flux-
bolt. However, since he is ‘carrying’ a Flux-bolt now, instead of
returning to 100, his Flux Points will rebuild only to 99, which is
his new natural level until he expends the Flux-bolt. If he sets up
and ‘carries’ 10 Flux-bolts, his natural Flux Point level drops to 90.

Note that by performing these processes at a high Flux Rating site,
and braving the attendant risks, our hypothetical fluxon could have
created _much_ more potent Flux-bolts. For example, if he had done
the same process successfully at a +3 Flux Rating site, his Flux-
bolts, when used, would have 36d hexes of range and inflict 36d damage
to whatever they touch! [1]

MORE LATER.

[1] There is a reason why fluxons were so feared and respected in
those times.

LATER.

A more sophisticated 'fast attack' Flux technique was/is the Flux-
vortex. This is a rather more potent and flexible combat
manifestation, but in GURPS terms it is set up exactly like the Flux-
bolt. The difference is that it's a more complex, flexible, and
sophisticated Controlled Manifestation, so higher penalties are
applied to the Flux Mastery rolls the fluxon uses to communicate his/
her desires to the Matrix, the Matrix's reaction roll, etc. Also, for
each Flux-vortex a fluxon 'carries', s/he loses _five_ Flux Points
from his/her natural maximum until that manifestation is triggered or
permanently 'released' unused. There are 'simple' and 'enhanced'
versions of the Flux-vortex.

When finally invoked, the 'simple' Flux-vortex is a _three-
dimensional_ swirl of psychokinetic energy that surrounds a target
within range (usually that means the _unaided_ line-of-sight of the
fluxon, close enough to clearly make out his or her target). The
fluxon should roll vs. IQ to properly invoke against his or her
target, only on a critical failure with the Flux-vortex 'miss'.

The vortex applies simultaneously a compressive force to the object or
entity within it, a shearing force, and a tensile strain, the three
strains coming from different directions and alternating hundreds of
times per second. A 'complex' Flux-vortex does that as well as adding
pyrokinetic heat or cryokinetic cold or both in rapid alternation.

The Flux-vortex is much more destructive to its target than a Flux-
bolt, but it is confined to one target (or more precisely, to one
central object or part of an object, affecting everything within range
of that object). Of a mobile target moves after being successfully
targeted, the Flux-vortex will try to move with him/her/it, the GM
must use common sense in applying roll penalties, as a thumb rule, a
basic one-hex Flux-vortex centered on a human can be escaped on a
critical success of a running or dodging roll, against the Flux-
vortex's 'skill'. If the target breaks free, the Flux-vortex will
dissipate in 1d turns if it can't 'find' the target. The Flux-vortex
will also dissipate over the course of one turn after its contents are
totally destroyed (shredded, ground to powder, vaporized, etc).

The 'tracking skill' of a Flux vortex defaults to 12, but can be
increased with successive -5 penalties on the reaction roll up to the
Flux Mastery skill level of the fluxon.

The 'simple' Flux-vortex at basic intensity does 3d damage to
everything within its volume of effect _per turn_, manifests as a
rough sphere 1 hex in diameter, and lasts 3d turns. The fluxon can
dismiss it at any time, but once s/he does s/he can not recall it,
restoring the Flux-vortex is a whole new Manifestation. The 'complex'
vortex at basic intensity is identical except that along with the 3d/
turn damage is an additional 1d each of heat and cold damage (GM
should use common sense in applying this).

Creating a 'complex' Flux-vortex works just like a 'simple' one, but
with reasonable higher penalties on the Matrix reaction roll (GM
judgement here).

At a cost of -5 on the reaction roll (and thus a cost of 5 Flux Points
to offset this penalty), the radius, damage, or duration of the
potential Flux-vortex can be doubled, any two can be doubled for a -10
penalty, all three at -15. They can be doubled again for another
-5/-10/-15, and so on, up to the point that the penalty cost on the
reaction roll exceeds the fluxon’s _unmodified_ Flux Mastery skill.

A few corollaries follow from the nature of the Flux-vortex. For one,
it does its damage from outside-to-in, so armor and other such
protections protect normally as they would against that sort of attack
(that is, heat-resistant clothing will protect against the pyrokinetic
component, high-DR armor must be overcome first before the Flux-vortex
can harm what the armor protects, etc).

It takes one full turn for a Flux-vortex to form and begin inflicting
damage, a character who realizes what is happening can attempt to get
clear before it forms, if s/he succeeds the Flux-vortex will fizzle
out. This requires that that target character know what Flux-vortex
is to recognize the tell-tale signs, or to guess what is happening,
roll vs. IQ to notice and realize what is happening and DX or Speed to
get clear (as seems appropriate). Or again, roll vs. IQ to notice/
understand and then roll as seems appropriate for whatever response or
defensive measure is attempted.

If a Flux-vortex is manifested against an object larger than itself,
it works normally but still only _directly_ affects that part of the
object within its volume of effect.

In appearance, an active Flux-vortex looks like a shimmering globe of
swirling pale lights, of every color in the rainbow, but constantly
shifting and changing, most Homosentients find the sight slightly
disturbing.

Note that the effect is a Flux manifestation, maintained by the
universal Matrix. This means that even if the invoking fluxon dies or
is rendered incapacitated, the Flux-vortex will continue for its
normal duration or until dissipated or disrupted or its contents are
destroyed. Likewise, _invoking_ a Flux-vortex costs the fluxon
nothing in terms of Fatigue, Health, Strength, or any other variable,
all the work on the part of the fluxon was done in preparing the Flux-
vortex when s/he 'created' it, using it is just a matter of deciding
to do it and costs nothing. The same is true of above-described Flux-
bolt.

(Yes, this means that a properly prepared fluxon could kill or
incapacitate an entire party in battle and be just as fresh when s/he
finished as when s/he started, except for no longer having as many
'Flux weapons' ready to use.)

EXAMPLE: While escaping from a heavily guarded Federal facility, the
evil Ylarines finds himself facing a problem, a guard in body armor is
blocking his path, pointing an automatic pistol at his midsection,
ordering him to stop and surrender. More security personnel are on
their way, and Ylarines is in a hurry. He is 'carrying' six Flux-
vortices, and he decides to use on on this annoyingly impudent guard.

For our purposes Ylarines has IQ 15, and he rolls against that to
'target' his Flux-vortex. He gets a 12. Since only a critical
failure on theis IQ roll will cause the Flux-vortex to miss, he wins
handily and in the following turn the Flux-vortex begins to form
around the guard. The guard sees a swirl of strange lights begin to
appear out of nowhere, but he does not understand the signficance and
misses his chance to try and escape it. The lights also distract him
momentarily and make it hard to keep his machine pistol trained on his
target (not that killing Ylarines would help him, it's too late for
that now).

In the next turn, our hapless guard finds himself the subject of
tearing, compressing, and stretching forces that rip at his body and
equipment from all sides and above and below, his senses are spinning
even without the pain and shock of the damage he's taking. There is
also a heat and cold component to the Flux-vortex, it's a 'complex'
one.

The GM rolls 3d for standard damage, and gets a 14, 1d twice for the
heat and cold damage and gets a 4 and a 3 respectively, and rolls 3d
again for duration, and gets a 7. Thus the Flux-vortex will do 14
points of 'mechanical' damage plus 4 points of heat damage and 3
points of cold damage _every turn_ for seven turns!

By the time the other guards arrive, Ylarines has fled the scene with
his ill-gotten gains, and they find their fellow guard lying dead on
the ground, his body ripped and torn and broken, and suffering both
burns and frostbite, his gun lying a few yards away with a bent barrel
and ice crystals on the handle.

MORE LATER.