I have a question about applying the Focused Apparatus ability from Elemental Manipulator against multiple targets. The definition states “Hinder using [power]. Attack using your Min die. If you are in the Red zone, you may apply the penalty to any number of nearby targets.” I could read this two different ways when using the ability in the Red zone:
A player could Hinder and Attack any number of nearby targets.
A player would only get the Attack function against one target, while applying the Hinder against numerous targets.
My reasoning would be that the definition says to “apply the penalty.” Are both Hinder and Attack results both considered penalties? Or are Hinder results penalties and Attack results damages and therefore not spread out over multiple targets. It might depend on how carefully one parses the language. Any thoughts of exactly what is intended?
Right, although it’s also worth noting that you can Hinder one (or many, in Red) target with your Mid while Attacking any one target you like with your Min, not just one you Hindered.
There are situations where you might not want to Hinder and Attack the same target, and this ability doesn’t force you to. Examples include wanting to avoid triggering a target’s reaction to taking damage or knowing that even your Min damage should finish a target so your penalty is better put somewhere else. Adds a little bit of extra versatility, even if you may not need it all that often.
If your team’s light on multi-target Hinders (and they often are, those are pretty rare) this can be a good ability to bank a few bonuses for when you hit Red one way or another. Dropping a -3 or -4 penalty across most or all of the opposition can be game changing, although the miniscule damage output on one target isn’t likely to matter. Most EE archetypes use some kind of damage immunity/inversion trick and focus on the self-harming Green Attack abilities, but this one (and the Defend/Boost Green) do open up other builds - not to mention being the only Hinder the archetype provides.
Yeah, damage doesn’t count as a penalty. And by the same token, FWIW the results of Boost actions and all other positive mods are called bonuses (but other helpful status effects like the results of Defend actions aren’t), in case you may get tripped up by that.
And even with the basic version of the ability without the extra Red zone effect, you could use it to Hinder one target while Attacking another, as otherwise the ability would tell you to Attack the same target.
Right. Compare and contrast with the Tech Upgrade power source’s Organi-Hack ability, which reads “Attack a target with (power). Hinder that target with your Min die.” If the default Mid die damage from that Attack KOs the target, the Min die penalty is going to waste.