Alternative Attacks

Alternative Attacks (B61) refers to Innate Attack, as well as Affliction (advantage) and Binding.

The term "same basic attack" is used, with "settings"/"ammo types" varying.

Free action switching[]

Simultaneous Spells is the only known exception to this (takes a ready as per Alternative Abilities)

Free-action switching would need to be done at the start of a turn, so it prevents switching between attacks during a turn, like if someone had Extra Attack and could shoot more than once.

Power Dodge might in theory be a way to represent skirting that since it allows 'free action' abilities to be done in the middle of one's turn.

However since only one Power Dodge can be done per second it may not skirt the limit of "one free action per turn".

Modifiers[]

They cannot be combined with Link since they can't be used simultaneously.

Follow-Up is not mentioned but it obviously makes sense to prohibit that Carrier relationship too

Permission for Strikers[]

"With the GM’s permission, you can apply this rule to multipurpose Strikers (p. 88) as well."

This sounds like it is designed for "Striker A or Striker B" (ie "multipurpose") as opposed to defining Striker as an Alternate Ability to Affliction, for example.

If it is not possible to do that via "attacks" then Strikers could at least qualify as Alternative Abilities per Powers.

Rule[]

Since Malfunction or Critical Failure on one disables all

Switchability[]

Always On attacks[]

A balance problem is created here in respect to Aura if that is limited with Always On. The reason being that this effectively would allow you to switch off the aura despite that, by switching to a non-aura attack (or another aura which is NOT always on) you would bypass your limitation.

For that reason, it would make sense to not allow "Always On" abilities to be alternative attacks. Auras arguably aren't "attacks" anymore anyway: the enhancement changes them from transient attacks to passive abilities that damage foes.

Takes Extra Time switchable auras[]

Auras can be flipped on or off using a free action by default.

This can be changed by the TET limitation: it changes it to a Ready maneuver, like if you took Switchable +10% on an Always-On ability.

Additional levels of TET would double that (2 readies for TET 2, 4 readies for TET 3, etc).

P11 elaborates on how Alternative Attacks work in 1st bullet:

"switching to a different attack is a free action"

That creates a problem because TET does not just increase time to ACTIVATE an aura, but also to DEactivate it.

If one is allowed to use a free action to switch away from the aura, they are bypassing the time demands they would normally require to avoid the negative problems associated with "Always On" auras.

Solution A[]

Allow "one direction TET" for -5% per level instead of -10% per level for switchable advantages (NOT for transient ones)

this doubles the time to switch it on, but NOT to switch it off

The basis for halving the value of a limitation which applies only to switching an ability on (and not to switching it off) is Skinbound from Horror. A gadget limitation is halved if you must have that gadget to use the ability but the gadget ceases to exist (the limitation does not apply) until the ability is turned off.

Solution B[]

Require for all alternative attacks/advantages

all abilities MUST be switchable
abilities must be switched OFF before alternating them as a free action

All normal attack advantages (transient effects of activation, not switchable auras) can be considered to have Switchable +10% for free:

this represents the ability to make the attacks, which you can deactivate, preventing yourself from being able to make them

They can also be considered to have Reduced Time +20% for free:

this represents that it does not take 1 second ready to go from "unable to attack" to "able to attack" or vice versa: it is a free action in either direction

They should not be considered Reflexive though ("ability to throw fireballs" does not "switch itself on": it is not a sensing ability or defensive ability ... it will not wake you up)

The ability to parry with Melee Attack-limited Innate Attacks (or to Power Parry with any of them) requires the ability to be switched on.

There would be no drawbacks to keeping the ability switched on indefinitely, since you don't detect as active use except when firing the attack, and always detect as "Person with this advantage" even when the advantage is switched off

this is different from how auras work for mages, mages can avoid showing a mage aura w/ switchable magery

The only plausible reason to switch this off is to avoid a temporary disadvantage, but you cannot take a temporary disadvantage on abilities which can be switched as free actions.

see however the Mitigators article for a different approach to TDs: if you define a Reciprocal Advantage as switchable and Reduced Time (total +30%) as an alternative ability, you SHOULD be able to switch that on as a free action to remove your disadvantage
- this is fine since it actually doesn't save any points at all (the reciprocal has higher positive cost than the disadvantage has negative cost)
  - to actually save points requires applying more than -30% in limitations to the reciprocal advantage, meaning there would be costs to ignoring the DISadvantage or situations where you couldn't ignore it, defined separately from "turning off my other advantage".

Usually On attacks[]

This is a similar concern: it costs FP to shut down your ability (like your otherwise always-on aura), and you're effectively doing that by switching to an Alternative Attack. If this WERE allowed, the 1 FP/second should probably apply while using the Alternative Attack.

quotes[]

Kromm[]

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=91930

Effects that require no active maintenance persist whether or not the user of the attack still has his advantage. Lacking the advantage prevents future attacking, that's all.

DF11, p.20 contradicts this with Bard Songs though.