The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Modular Abilities: Too good?
Tharios:
I've been working on a character concept that utilizes the Emissary of Power template. Originally, I'd intended to additionally take Inhuman Speed, Strength, and Recovery, and leave it at that with a couple of stunts for good measure.
Then I found Modular Abilities. After reading it, I decided that it suited my desires more aptly, and set about incorporating it into my character instead. So, -1 for Marked by Power, a point pool of 6 for Modular Abilities, and the -2 "fee" for Modular Abilities, leaves me with 1 point of Refresh. That's ok for me, and I don't mind.
My problem is this, I planned to restrict my ability selections to only Speed, Strength and Recovery. Upon thinking about it...that has the potential to make a character ridiculously powerful with only that 6 point pool. I can have Inhuman for each, or an Inhuman and a Supernatural...or go full-blown Mythic. And all it seems to require is that I take a full action to do so. And this is under my own self-imposed restrictions...the power normally allows anything at all to be chosen from Creature Features, a few Minor Abilities, Speed, Strength, and Toughness. That's quite the buffet...to be changed in any way I see fit within the confines of my total point pool...for no more effort than a full action.
Have I missed something somewhere in the books? Is there some kind of payment required to activate powers or such? The expenditure of a fate point maybe (though that seems a tad steep)? Has this power already been altered and I need to look at the errata for it instead?
luminos:
well, unless your character concept is something weird, you have to use some kind of shape-shifting to put you in a form that can use the modular abilities. So if you want your modular abilities to give you lots of strength and toughness, you'd need to turn into something that would have those things, and if you want modular abilities to let you fly, you need to turn into something that can fly.
Deadmanwalking:
Yeah, but it's not hard to find concepts that allow it sans shapeshiting.
The real limit is that you just spent 8 Refresh on it. It should be ridiculous, for the same price you could have Physical Immunity with a +0 Catch and be basically invulnerable. Or be a Full Wizard with a level of Refinement, and toss off 7 or 8 shift Evocation. Or be a half-Troll with Supernatural Strength, Inhuman Toughness, Supernatural Recovery, Claws, and a +3 Catch, and do +6 Stress a hit and be tough as hell.
You paid for the power, feel free to use it. And the switching being a Full Action is actually quite meaningful, for practical purposes it slots you into maybe one change in ability selection per combat, so your versatility isn't quite as cool as it could be.
luminos:
Just my personal preference, but I'd definitely require any PC to have shape-shifting abilities to use their modular abilities. Physical immunity is nice, but compared to the ability to redefine your character to fit any situation on the fly just blows everything else out of the water. Versatility > Power
Deadmanwalking:
--- Quote from: luminos on April 30, 2010, 10:10:18 PM ---Just my personal preference, but I'd definitely require any PC to have shape-shifting abilities to use their modular abilities. Physical immunity is nice, but compared to the ability to redefine your character to fit any situation on the fly just blows everything else out of the water. Versatility > Power
--- End quote ---
What about a Physical Adept style mage, who uses magic to jack up whatever physical abilities they choose? That's a simple and easy one. Or, as suggested in another thread, a guy who internalizes elemental energy giving him abilities based on the element he's channeling.
Both of those are way too cool to disallow, IMO.
And a full Wizard is probably more versatile than this guy, honestly. Alot more so, outside combat. In combat, still a bit more so, though it costs in terms of Mental Stress.
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