A New Power: Shadow Diving

[Nightshyft]

SHADOW DIVING

Effect: Movement

Range: Self

Action: Standard/Move

Duration: Instant (Lasting)

Cost: 2 points per Rank

You can create a temporary dimensional pocket within a shadow, then as a move action, can merge with said pocket. This Shadow Pocket will "hide" you from everything except dimensional detection. While in the Shadow Pocket, you are able to "Ride" within the originating shadow if the shadow's caster is capable of moving. The speed of this movement is limited in two fashions. First, you can only move as fast as the shadow's caster can move. Second, you can only "ride" in a shadow moving at 3MPH at rank 1. Each additional rank moves the speed one step up The Time and Value Progression Table.

When no shadow is available, then the Shadow Diving ability is unavailable, along with any extras or power feats associated with it. Furthermore, at any time that the target's shadow is non-existent, then the Shadow Diver is expelled from the Shadow Pocket in the last location that the shadow existed. This can be extremely dangerous if the Shadow Diver is "riding" in a very fast shadow. In this instance, you must make a Reflex save versus a DC of 10 +the rank of the speed of the shadow (use The Time and Value Progression Table to figure the rank of the speed using the same formula as above). Failure means that you take full Slam damage (Pg. 158, M&M 2E) instead of half damage. All other effects remain the same.

Power Feats________________________________________

• Adumbration: You can sense the surrounding area around the Shadow Pocket you are currently merged with.

• Passengers: You can take another person with you into the shadow pocket. For each additional time you take this stunt, you move on step up The Time and Value Progression Table.

• Shadow Strike: You have the ability to perform a Surprise Attack( see Surprise Attack, Page 163 Mutants and Masterminds core book) by swiftly Shadow Diving into and then back out of an opponent's shadow. This can only be performed upon opponents whose shadow you currently reside in. However, the Shift extra allows you to change shadows, thus allowing you to attack another target other than your originating shadow.

Extras_____________________________________________

• Shift (+1): You can move from one shadow to another shadow, effectively changing the shadow that you are occupying. However, the shadow you currently reside in must intersect the shadow you are traversing to. Shifting from one shadow to another is a move action.

• Trap (+1): This power functions exactly like the attack version of Dimensional Pocket( Pg. 82, M&M2E), trapping the target within a shadow. Make a Melee attack roll. The Target gets a Reflex save to avoid being trapped. A trapped target can use Dimensional movement to escape. Additionally, the trapped target gets a Will save each round to escape from the Shadow Trap with a cumulative +1 bonus for each previous save attempt.

Play (+1): This ability allows the character to alter the depth, size and shape of shadows within an area. The base function of this power is Environmental Control: Visibility(Pg. 49, Ultimate Power) in that it deepens all nearby shadows and improves Stealth by hampering Notice and Search checks by a -4 modifier. In addition, it allows the user to cause the shadows to grow or shrink as desired. In doing this, it provides more opportunities for the character to “Shift†from one shadow to another. Finally, a character using this ability can opt to use it to function like the following feats instead of altering shadow densities in an area: Distract, Fascinate, or Fearsome Presence. All of the feats use the rank of Shadow Diving as their rank in effectiveness and only one type of ability maybe performed at a time. Switching from one function to another is a free action.

[Avenger Assembled]

...Nightshyft, could you maybe drop constantly-tweaking your uber-shadow powers? I'm not really comfortable having a new player make up a power; use what's in the core book and Ultimate Power, and write up a new one as you have time to learn the system in play.

And write a backstory for him, or something? :)

[quotemyname]

Passengers should be renamed Progression to follow the already established tradition.

Stipulate somewhere in the main text what you can and cannot take with you by default (I assume it's just yourself and maybe 100lbs of carried people/equipment as per teleport). Therefore Progression would double the weight/people you can take for each rank of progression you take. Also you should probably stipulate that it only applies to willing targets. The Trap extra is for unwilling targets/foes.

Play seems incredibly broken for a +1 extra. Maybe make it +2 at least.

EDIT (after I saw AA post)

Something like this might be fine in a home game, but I doubt it has a place on the boards. I have yet to see a single home-brew power approved for use.

[Dr Archeville]

Technically, he's not a new player, he was just on a very long hiatus.

But everything else Avenger said is Truth.

[N/A]

I don't really see how this does anything for you that you couldn't do by taking existing powers and just adding the right Descriptors.

Some suggestions off the top of my head:

• [*:10se2rr5]Concealment (All Senses), with a Power Loss drawback against Super-Senses with the Dimensional feat
  [*:10se2rr5]Dimensional Pocket (I usually recommend buying it up to Continuous duration - otherwise, it's next to useless)
  [*:10se2rr5]Flight, or Speed + Super-Movement (Wall-Crawling, Water-Walking, maybe Slithering)
  [*:10se2rr5]Insubstiantial 3 or 4
  [*:10se2rr5]Obscure (Visual), possibly Limited to one specific visual sense (Normal Vision)
  [*:10se2rr5]Possession (obviously very Limited)
  [*:10se2rr5]Teleport

The list goes on.

[Nightshyft]

No offense...I do know the system. I have been playing for quite awhile and I do know how to build a power that has balancing aspects. That being said, this is an unbalanced one....I know that. It needs reworked.

For the record...I posted this at the request of someone else who saw this. Normally I wouldn't have, but some who have seen the solution I have posted don't like the "clunkiness" of the Possession idea.

Honestly, Character Building seems to be about power building. What I posted was exactly that....a power that was built using the system...specifically using the guidelines laid out in Masterminds Manual. I can understand not liking the power. I can understand not wanting the power in the game and stating that it will not get approval. Getting snarky is something I don't understand.

...Nightshyft, could you maybe drop constantly-tweaking your uber-shadow powers? write up a new one as you have time to learn the system in play.

Please, please don't assume that someone has NOT played the system.

Thank you

[angrydurf]

I think its been pretty well stated that this power as written ubove isn't really workable and also that wholesale power creation is something that is highly unlikely to be approved.

So If I understand correctly the effect you are trying to create is on wherein you effectively "jump into" a persons shadow and move with them as the base desired effect correct?

For that effect alone I think possesion (severly limited to not include any of the mind control elements) covers it.

If you want to be able to attack from such a possition however you will likely run into trouble even building it as a linked set of powers. Basically you are talking about full concealment and intangibility that you can attack from. This type of build has been scruetinized and rejected before but that character (a ghost idea) had many other issues as well. Generally any situation in which you can attack with little or not way of being attacked back is not likely to be approved.

Honestly I woudl suggest useing a dimensional movement equivalent for the power. Something structured along the lines of dimensional pocket but you can only take yourself and your "gear" into it. Add in medium (shadows) as a complication/drawback/flaw dependant on how limiting you expect it to be (Like needing deep shadows) or a limitation that you need to emerge fromt eh same shadow as you entered. YOu can then jump into a shadow and ride along then pop out and attack (as a sneak attack since they won't really see you comeing) but have to wait out of the shadow for a round or surge to re-enter the safety of the shadow.

[Nightshyft]

You know what amazes me? What I built is exactly what you suggest Durf. It is an Extra Dimensional Space that you jump into and have to exit to attack. It is structured exactly as you stated...and it even have results when you fail and limits as to the speed of the shadow. The Trap extra is broken as written due to the fact it is missing the important point that it OVERRIDES the original power...as such, it would be better off as an Alternate Power instead of an Extra. SO, that extra needs removed. Play, as stated IS too useful as written....so removal of that as well.

Simple is good...that is a misnomer. Known is good is what should be stated. Another example I ran into of this mistatement....

Rapid Attack vs Damage X Area Burst[Targetable].

These are the same thing except for TWO major difference.

Rapid Attack is simplfied...to the point and already written, where as Damage etc, etc....is horribly complicated in that it it has to define the actual components that make up Rapid Attack. In a nutshell, that makes it semantics and not mechanics. And second, Rapid Attack is TIED to a travel power for the descriptor, where as DamageX needs the descriptor labeled out. Rapid Attack was called too complicated. To me, that boggles my mind...it is straight to the point and has everything else the other does, and is a KNOWN.

Frankly, a power build system is about building the powers. In my opinion, that is what M&M is...a power build system. It is a beautiful system in that it provides all of the essential building blocks to build any power conceivable. True, everything is subject to GM approval, as well it should be. While I fully acknowledge that this power(and most likely any concept I make near this build) will be out and out rejected. However, I cannot help but defend what I see as being the same thing.

Thanks for listening.

[angrydurf]

Well for an alternate viewpoint if its the same thing why build a new power to do it?

I see what you mean about simplicity ala rapid attack but the way I read your description of the power (and the inclusion of a couble broken extras/PFs) its not even simpler really.

Aditionally, in this kind of format allowing one player built power opens the floodgates for everyone trying to introduce home brew stuff, which ties up Ref time and is irritating for everyone when most of it is likely to be way OP.

[Nightshyft]

Like I said, someone here asked for this and asked for me to post it. I did as requested and in turn was admonished.

Thanks for the reply and honesty, I appreciate it. And thanks for your observations.