Mixed Energy Types?

[BruteForce]

All this recent talk about variable effects got me thinking off on a tangent; How about "cross-energy" powers?

I'll try a few examples:

Let's say I have a character who shoots microwaves at people. In game terms, could be considered damage from heat (so I guess it would fall under fire), or it could be considered radiation. Could we just say it's "half and half?"

Or a character who is surrounded by a field of chilling darkness, so the damage is part darkness (though I still don't understand how that would work) and part cold.

Are there any glaring problems that I'm overlooking?

How would this work, damage-wise, with someone who's got an Immunity to one energy type, but not to the other?

Or could a "two damage saves" approach be taken, like a Weapon with the Energy Field extra -- one against one energy type and one against the other (obviously, this would be an extra -- maybe the others would, too...)?

[Inazuma]

I'd count microwaves as radiation.

As for the chilling darkness - Obscure with the Energy Blast extra?

[Green Lantern]

Yeah, radiation burns (it's released excess energy from chemical reactions), there's not really a reason to make it half heat.

I don't know how darkness deals damage either. I'm with Inazuma on this one.

[Sunhound]

I GM M&M and wouldn't have a problem if one of my players wanted an effect like this.

Unless an opponent was especially vulnerable or resistant to one of the energy types, I wouldn't change the DC of the damage roll.

If the opponent is resistant to one of the types and not the other I would halve the damage bonus of the attack and make the Damage Save from that.

And if the opponent was vulnerable to one of the energy types I would apply a penalty of half of the attack's damage bonus to the target's Damage Save roll.

Would this work for you?

[horned god]

This game has defined Radiation as heat. There is no 'heat' perse listed in the rules from what I have seen. The old classic marvel used the term 'heat' and rarely if ever used radiation. Infrared is radiation, gamma is radiation, heat is radiation, its all radiation.

So just equate heat = radiation, and fire = fire which is I know a type of radiation or heat I suppose but they made the distinction. Is all flame hot? No there are cold flames actually. Still just like the book says 'this is comic book radiation.

I know we have the concept that radiation is decaying particles and all that if you have a true problem with it then I suggest simply adding yet another energy type to the list 'Heat' and yet I think Steve would have thought of it and added it thus why I intpret that radiation, if it is is anything on that list, its radiation.

Combined energy blasts? Your stated ones like chilling darkness sounds cool. If it were defined and part of the concept of the character and fit well I'd allow it. For example, the chilling darkness, that seems reasonable but since I already know most players would do this to have two types of damage and say 'oh you mean your immune to cold, but are you immune to darkness' which is a type of energy mind you. No negative on that, sorry try playing the game of 'what cant I scam' later on.

Thus I would not allow cold fire based attacks. Sure there are cold flames but they are cold in nature, and won't cause fire damage just like Dry Ice won't freeze you, it simply doesn't have the same properties. Something like Dark Lightning. I don't see why it can't just be dark damage or electrical damage, or simply put darkness in the shape of electrical looking bolts, why must it be a dual damage other than the player wants to do dual damage. How many real comic characters do this sort of thing?

Even Green lantern who actually has variable effect has one type of energy: green force, which I would classify as 'kinetic' under that list. List any other real comic characters you can think of other than godlike beings and strange characters like Impossible man or galactus possibly. I mean comic characters who have their own Comic Title? Any?

I am guessing there might be one or two at best. Ok explain what they can do specifically.

[Dr Archeville]

A GL Ring can actually manipulate the entire electromagnetic spectrum (which includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared/thermal radiation, visible light, ultraviolet light, X-rays, X-rays, and Gamma rays, and most other forms of radiaton, including Kryptonite-Radiation).

And if you want an Energy Blast to have 2 seperate energy effects, but one Energy Blast with another type as an Extra. Example: Darkbolt (Energy Blast/Darkness 5 w/ Energy Blast/Cold 5 as an Extra. Cost 3pp, total cost 15 points). Whoever's hit with it makes 2 Damage saves, both at DC 20 -- once for the Darkness part, once for the Cold part.

As to how Darkness can hurt someone -- for those of you who play D&D, think of it as Negative Energy damage. For those of you who're avid Marvel comics fans, look at the characters Cloak and Darkstar. For those of you with pseudoscientific minds, think of it as a "Blacklight Laser" (yes, I know Blacklights are really UV lights, but they had Cold Lasers in Godzilla vs. Destroyah, dangit!!!).

[Novac]

Behold, my cold laser! *mutter* BEHOLD my cold LASER! *grumble* Takes a minute or two for this thing to warm up.