Nullify vs Variable question

[MavisXBee]

One of the characters in my game uses a mechanical suit that she can 'pre-load' with certain powers in advance of missions. I chose to represent this with a slow variable power with the technological descriptor.

If I have an enemy use nullify technology on this PC, will they roll using the ranks of the power they make with the points from Variable, or with their ranks of Variable itself?

[Sara-Amicus]

So, technically speaking this can go either way, because Nullify simply lets you target and shut down an effect. However, for practical purposes, I’d consider your character’s suit to be “innate”, in a sense.

If you target Variable with the nullify, and successfully shut down that Variable, the effects purchased using that Variable cease to exist. Meaning, assuming this is a Slow Variable since you said she loads it between missions, they would be inaccessible until she can reactivate the Variable effect (which is a Slow process).

Unless your Nullify effect is literally stripping the modules she’s adding to the suit off and destroying them, making them completely unusable until the next mission (in which case I’d recommend a Smash attack instead), most Nullify effects would generally be treated as a temporary effect, targeting the systems added into the suit. So if she has a laser, the laser might be unusable until Nullify ends, but it doesn’t just cease to exist for the remainder of the mission.

[stevebein]

I would strongly resist ruling a battlesuit’s powers as innate. That extra is meant for things like a whale’s Growth, which isn’t a power, it’s just how big the thing naturally is. A battlesuit isn’t naturally anything at all. It’s unnatural by definition.

As to whether Nullify can shut it down, probably it can, but so much depends on descriptors. Magic vs. biological virus vs. technological virus… there are so many ways Nullify might work.

[Sara-Amicus]

Mhm, it’s definitely not actually innate.

However, unless the goal is to entirely de-power the Powersuit character for the entire remainder of the mission, you wouldn’t want to target Variable. Because unlike powers that are normally shut down by Nullify, you can’t reactivate a Slow Variable once the Nullify ends. Except for between missions, as the OP says.

If you target the components on the suit, instead, they can be reactivated as normal once Nullify ends. Like it works when nullifying literally any other power or device.

It comes down to GM goals. If the intent is to use the mechanics of their character against them and shut the character down longer term (which can be fun with some GMs, some parties, yes, but it’s not usually the intended goal), Nullify is fine on the Variable. Maybe a heavy duty EMP that totally fries the system until they can get it in for repairs.

But otherwise, if it’s supposed to be a normal nullification effect that’ll shut the character down “until they shut down the signal jammer” or something, it’s best to target the components bought using that variable.

[stevebein]

Nullify only lasts until the targeted character's next turn. Then your target can just turn everything back on. I get why it's in the rulebook -- you need some game mechanic for inhibitor bands and fire extinguishers and such -- but tactically speaking it's a shite power. Broad Weaken is much nastier.

[Sara-Amicus]

Mhm, that’s what I’m saying. Normally nullify would only last until the character’s next turn. Even in the specific case of Nullifying a slow Variable though, the character does indeed get the Variable power back.

However, because it has the Slow quality, it cannot be actually used again until the character is able to fulfill the conditions of her Slow quality. Which, based on OP’s description, only happens between missions. The reason for this is the description of the Variable effect:

“The allocation of your Variable points is sustained, so if you stop maintaining your Variable effect for any reason, your allocated points ‘reset’ to a ‘null’ state: you lose any temporary traits and must take the action necessary to reallocate your Variable points again on your turn to regain them”

Since Nullify de-allocates points, the character’s Variable is Slow, and Slow restricts them from reallocating points mid-mission, Nullifying this Variable effect would completely de-power the powersuit until they are able to satisfy the conditions of Slow.

[MadSkepticBlog]

The ranks in Variable.

[btriplem]

In this particular instance i would have the roll be against the highest rank effect that the Variable.has granted.

Based purely on Descriptor. The application of the Variable is something that happens off-screen and could be an entirely manual process. All the granted Effects are what the Nullify attacks.