Author Topic: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)  (Read 163985 times)

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #315 on: February 13, 2012, 06:39:07 PM »
Point.

Would it be better if I made it not apply to the creation of magical illusions?

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #316 on: February 15, 2012, 04:34:57 AM »
I have little choice but to take silence as approval. So I'm gonna do that...unless someone says something.

One more power:

FOMOR MAGIC [-4]
Description: Fomor magic draws on the dark, pressured, saline depths and the powers of entropy and mutation; Fomor magic effects tend to form, or be attended by, shadows, fogs, or mists and leave corrosion, rust, or decay behind. It favors dark curses, mutative or flesh-warping effects, corrosive attacks, and entropy-based defenses that weaken and soften attacks.
Sponsor: Fomor magic draws on the power of the Fomor, an ancient alliance or nation of mostly aquatic beings with affinities to the jotuns and the darker faeries.
Agenda: The plans of the Fomor as somewhat nebulous, but extremely sinister. Their current efforts are primarily dedicated to kidnapping mortal magic users.
Evocation: Treat Fomor Magic as Water for Evocation purposes.
Thaumaturgy: Fomor Magic can be used to cast entropomantic curses and to use the more mutative/disgusting effects of biomancy.
Evothaum: Any ritual that may be cast with Fomor Magic may be cast with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: Fomor Magic is unaffected by running water.

Thanks to vultur's good work, this required no real effort at all. I just had to adjust the format.

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #317 on: February 15, 2012, 05:09:43 AM »
I have little choice but to take silence as approval. So I'm gonna do that...unless someone says something.

Sorry, this question was lost in the midst of my switch to a new computer (yay me).

Without the option for the benefit to apply to magical illusions, the bonus might have to be increased (it's about half a mortal stunt in value at most, which is less than half a refresh of value in a Power), but it would at least address the perceived conflict.



I see no major issues with Fomor Magic.  Though Direct comparisons with RAW examples might have it coming up short, depending on the value assigned to the running water exemption.
Even Chaotic Neutral individuals have to apologize sometimes. But at least we don't have to mean it.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #318 on: February 16, 2012, 07:01:00 AM »
Congrats on the new computer.

I'm not too bothered by having the Deceit bonus be a little weaker than half a refresh of powers normally would be. After all, one pretty much has to rely on stunts for social stuff.

So I think I'll probably use this edit.

Now, there's only one Sponsored Magic left. It's Rune Magic. I left it for last because it promises to be a headache.

Rune Magic [-4]: Standard Sponsor Benefits, 12 Rune Item Slots (equivalent of Enchanted Item Slots) if paying at -4 (If given a cost discount for Evocation or Thaumaturgy, it loses four Rune Item Slots for each point). These slots can be used to emulate any Evocation or Thaumaturgy effect, but may only be used for Rune Magic Items or Consumable Runes (although Enchanted Item Slots may also to pay for Rune Magic Items or Consumable Runes). A Rune Magic Item works and functions the same as an Enchanted Item (pre-prepared items) and a Consumable Rune works and functions the same as Potions or other Consumables (one-use runes). No channeling (all magical effects are done by using the Rune Item Slots). Others may use Rune Magic Items without using an extra slot to make it usable by others.
Rune Item Slot = Enchanted Item Slot
Rune Magic Item = Enchanted Item
Consumable Runes = Potions/Consumables

What I want to know before I get to reformatting is: how is this not identical to Ritual (Crafting) + 2 Refinements?

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #319 on: February 16, 2012, 08:25:29 AM »
What I want to know before I get to reformatting is: how is this not identical to Ritual (Crafting) + 2 Refinements?

Ritual+Refinements gives you the option to allocate some of its points to focus items that enhance the power and/or frequency of all subsequent enchanted items.  (ie. is potentially more powerful for the same cost)
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Offline UmbraLux

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #320 on: February 16, 2012, 12:00:42 PM »
A couple of comments / questions on Rune Magic - is renaming "Enchanted Item" to "Rune Magic Item" etc really necessary?  I think there's too much jargon in the game already.  Also, what's the sponsor's agenda?  No idea what debt compels would be used for after reading it.
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Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #321 on: February 16, 2012, 01:02:36 PM »
Presuming the sponsor is Odin and the beneficiary is a Valkyrie, the agenda is probably along the lines of preparing for Ragnarok, collecting weapons, and finding new Einherjar.
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Offline polkaneverdies

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #322 on: February 16, 2012, 02:09:54 PM »
@sancta: The character appears to be trading the ability to make crafting focus items for the ability to take sponsor debt. Beyond that there is little difference.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2012, 08:08:27 PM by polkaneverdies »

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #323 on: February 16, 2012, 04:46:39 PM »
One suggestion to make it different, a lot of the Sponsored Magics in the rulebook include a +1 bonus somewhere. Maybe Rune Magic could offer a Complexity bonus to any items made with it?
« Last Edit: February 16, 2012, 06:21:57 PM by Mr. Death »
Compels solve everything!

http://blur.by/1KgqJg6 My first book: "Brothers of the Curled Isles"

Quote from: Cozarkian
Not every word JB rights is a conspiracy. Sometimes, he's just telling a story.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_T_mld7Acnm-0FVUiaKDPA The C-Team Podcast

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #324 on: February 16, 2012, 08:08:04 PM »
Okay, so it's really just Crafting with facelift and some minor mechanical changes.

That's not good.

Adding a random bonus won't help much, Sponsored Magic is supposed to be interesting.

So, full rewrite time. I'll start with the fluff, crunch will come later.

RUNE MAGIC [-4]
Description: A long time ago, Odin stabbed himself with a spear and hanged himself from The World Tree as a sacrifice to himself. By doing so, he acquired the power of Rune Magic. Now Odin gives some of that runic power to his Valkyries, making them able to serve him better.
Sponsor: Rune Magic comes from Odin, greatest of the Aesir and master of runes.
Agenda: The agenda of Odin is not entirely clear, but it definitely includes making preparations for Ragnarok. Users of Rune Magic might be called upon to find new Einherjar for Odin's armies or to gather weapons for the final battle.
Evocation:
Thaumaturgy:
Evothaum:
Extra Benefits:

I'll send Tsunami and Mal_Luck PMs, see what they have to say.

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #325 on: February 16, 2012, 08:13:34 PM »
It should still bare some resemblance to enchanted items, since that's pretty much how they're shown to be used in the books, as items with a set effect built in. I'm not sure how you'd model that effect without ending up pretty darn close to Crafting anyway.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2012, 08:26:09 PM by Mr. Death »
Compels solve everything!

http://blur.by/1KgqJg6 My first book: "Brothers of the Curled Isles"

Quote from: Cozarkian
Not every word JB rights is a conspiracy. Sometimes, he's just telling a story.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_T_mld7Acnm-0FVUiaKDPA The C-Team Podcast

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #326 on: February 16, 2012, 08:24:10 PM »
Well, it should definitely include Crafting. But then again, Seelie Magic includes Crafting too.

The question is, "how to make Rune Magic more than just Crafting?"

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #327 on: February 16, 2012, 08:26:22 PM »
Thinking about it some more...maybe they'd be a sort of portable Thaumaturgy? Sort of "prepare now, use later" items? The Living Lightning rune, for example, seems to have been a much more potent effect than what you'd be able to get out of an enchanted item with Gard's Lore rating.

Let's look at what we know from the books, and can reasonably assume from the RPG book:
Gard doesn't seem to know any magic besides Runecrafting.
Runecrafting allows her to set Wards on Marcone's places of business (the ones that messed up Bob), and set long-term, powerful traps (the Living Lightning).
They can be used by others (Dresden using her disguise rune in Heorot), and possibly as fuel for Evocation when used by an evocator (Harry uses the energy from it, but gives it his own form on the fly).
Creating a rune takes a lot out of you (It's mentioned that creating the bullet in Even Hand knocked Gard unconscious for a couple weeks--probably big-time backlash)

So maybe it grants Thaumaturgy, along with several slots that can be used for portable runes, and those portable runes can be made with higher power than normal enchanted items?
« Last Edit: February 16, 2012, 09:01:50 PM by Mr. Death »
Compels solve everything!

http://blur.by/1KgqJg6 My first book: "Brothers of the Curled Isles"

Quote from: Cozarkian
Not every word JB rights is a conspiracy. Sometimes, he's just telling a story.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_T_mld7Acnm-0FVUiaKDPA The C-Team Podcast

Offline vultur

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #328 on: February 17, 2012, 03:06:34 AM »
I'm frankly not sure that Rune Magic *needs* to be a sponsored magic - despite it being listed that way in Gard's entry in OW. It might really just be Ritual (Crafting), with the one-use runes being "potions", and the stuff like Gard's runed battleaxe being enchanted items. I'm not sure it should be Sponsored in the sense of 'granted power, with conditions' as I think Runes are supposed to be more a knowledge-gives-power thing.

Good point on the power level and cost to the runecrafter, though - so maybe it is...
« Last Edit: February 17, 2012, 03:08:30 AM by vultur »

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #329 on: February 17, 2012, 05:40:57 AM »
I haven't read Even Hand, so my idea of what Gard can do is likely somewhat off.

Anyway, everything I've seen from her has been either Crafting or Warding.

But I remember a mention of an anti-magic musket ball in Even Hand, so maybe some kind of portable-ritual extra benefit would be fitting.

I'd be very opposed to modelling said extra benefit with Crafting alone, though. Because I'm fairly certain that that would be excessively powerful.