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

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #705 on: November 12, 2012, 03:41:16 PM »
Might Over Magic also moves a defense trapping.  That costs refresh if caused by a stunt.  It should cost refresh if caused by a power.
Refresh Cost for a +2 to defense vs magic stunt and a trapping-mover stunt = 2
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Offline ways and means

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #706 on: November 12, 2012, 05:15:47 PM »
Might Over Magic also moves a defense trapping.  That costs refresh if caused by a stunt.  It should cost refresh if caused by a power.
Refresh Cost for a +2 to defense vs magic stunt and a trapping-mover stunt = 2

But you could by those rules make the power a single refresh and say your moving defense against magic to the breaking things trapping of strength, Its much more optimal and much cheaper but not really fair because some trapping are just way more powerful than others.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2012, 05:33:43 PM by ways and means »
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #707 on: November 12, 2012, 07:25:19 PM »
Oh, no way. I call shenanigans on that.

You can move trappings from skill to skill, but you can't move a trapping into another trapping in order to take advantage of a single-trapping bonus like that.

That aside, Parry Magic isn't the only thing this Power does. I wouldn't even call it the main thing. So I'm hesitant about making it too strong.

And it just seems wrong for a niche Power like this one to be the path to the single highest passive defence available in the game.

You know, Powers that scale in power depending on what other Powers you have are a bugger to balance.

Offline ways and means

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #708 on: November 12, 2012, 08:41:05 PM »
Oh, no way. I call shenanigans on that.

You can move trappings from skill to skill, but you can't move a trapping into another trapping in order to take advantage of a single-trapping bonus like that.

That aside, Parry Magic isn't the only thing this Power does. I wouldn't even call it the main thing. So I'm hesitant about making it too strong.

And it just seems wrong for a niche Power like this one to be the path to the single highest passive defence available in the game.

You know, Powers that scale in power depending on what other Powers you have are a bugger to balance.

Most sustained spells can already be taken down with might, any type of physical block can be take down with overwhelming force (might roll) and it is not hard to think of a strength defense against a lot of maneuvers too. So I don't see the secondary part of the power being particularly significant. 
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Offline Addicted2aa

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #709 on: November 12, 2012, 08:58:29 PM »
If I read the power right, it can take down veils, wards, any sort of enchantment, or sustained divination. You could use it to remove a magically manufactured darkness. It add alot of versatility outside of combat.
That said, none of that seems like it makes narrative sense though.
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Offline Lavecki121

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #710 on: November 13, 2012, 03:04:27 PM »
(click to show/hide)

Sorry to bring this back up, but I just noticed it. Why does the physical stress cost way more than mental stress. Also why have you increased the cost for physical stress past what the current power already had, by a lot?

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #711 on: November 14, 2012, 02:48:02 AM »
Yeah, this lets you take down the wide variety of intangible spells by punching them.

If this doesn't make sense, then neither do Warden swords. It's the same basic effect.

Immunity to physical stress is more expensive than immunity to mental stress because it's more powerful. Mental attacks are seriously pretty rare.

The cost for full immunity was pumped up because by canon full immunity was blatantly underpriced. Compare it to other Toughness Powers, you'll see what I mean.

PS: Have you read the thread that that Power was written in?

Offline Addicted2aa

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #712 on: November 14, 2012, 01:13:25 PM »
Yeah, this lets you take down the wide variety of intangible spells by punching them.

If this doesn't make sense, then neither do Warden swords. It's the same basic effect.

Is it? The warden sword is a counterspell at a fixed value, no? You touch the warden sword to a spell and it dissipates, not you cleave through it, using your weapons skill and it shatters.

Not saying it's a bad power. Just saying, Not at my table, cause I can't see how it makes sense in the Dresden Universe. Makes plenty of sense in other worlds
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Offline Tedronai

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #713 on: November 14, 2012, 04:11:00 PM »
I can't see how it makes sense in the Dresden Universe

Dresden vs the 'Barbed-Wire Spell'
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Offline Addicted2aa

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #714 on: November 14, 2012, 04:49:45 PM »
Dresden vs the 'Barbed-Wire Spell'

My memory is Harry removes that more through a counterspell than through pulling it off simply by being strong.
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Offline Tedronai

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #715 on: November 14, 2012, 05:13:07 PM »
Well, it wasn't a matter of 'simply being strong', but it WAS a physical effort that removed the spell.  A physical effort empowered by Dresden's magical abilities, no doubt, but a physical effort nonetheless.
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Offline Addicted2aa

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #716 on: November 14, 2012, 06:25:31 PM »
Might is pretty much about being strong. I don't remember the scene that well, but I think that makes more sense as might restricting the discipline roll to target his spell. I'll give the scene another once over see if I still hold that opinion.
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Offline Tedronai

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #717 on: November 14, 2012, 06:56:43 PM »
I would have represented that scene as a small ritual with extra shifts supplied primarily from Might-generated aspects backed up by aspects generated by way of The Sight.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #718 on: November 14, 2012, 10:32:50 PM »
Might is pretty much about being strong.

Not entirely. Lifting, breaking, and wrestling also require a fair bit of technique. So Might also includes the effective application of strength.

That's why you can have Mediocre Might and Mythic Strength.

Is it? The warden sword is a counterspell at a fixed value, no? You touch the warden sword to a spell and it dissipates, not you cleave through it, using your weapons skill and it shatters.

The Warden Sword is a counterspell at a fixed value because that's how enchanted items work. Not because that's how it's portrayed in the novels.

The way it's portrayed in the novels could be "use Weapons", a fixed value counterspell, a focus that boosts counterspell control/power, an Aspect...it's flexible, because the novels are notably lacking in rules text.

Not saying it's a bad power. Just saying, Not at my table, cause I can't see how it makes sense in the Dresden Universe. Makes plenty of sense in other worlds

The Dresden universe has all sorts of crazy nonsense thrown together with no obvious rhyme or reason. Fans try to make it all seem consistent and clear, but honestly cyborg aliens could show up in the next book and they'd fit just fine if Jim presented them with his usual style.

IIRC in Ghost Story Bob says that Spiderman exists. And Sir Stuart says that, much as the White Council loves to classify stuff, the world does not accommodate classification well.

Really, "doesn't fit the Dresdenverse" is a pretty weird thing to say.

Offline InFerrumVeritas

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #719 on: November 19, 2012, 03:50:03 AM »
My thought for writing the power was that I had a big bad bruiser.  Might Over Magic was applied to an IoP, which he had recently acquired.  So the axe focused the user's strength against the spells and allowed it to break them.  He used it to shatter a block and cleave through a sonic wave.  This fit the universe, to me.

I agree that it's probably more balanced to apply half strength bonus when used defensively. 

On an unarmed character, I'd reflavor to use Fists.  Magic defeating Kung-Fu or something. 

Really, this was a power designed to throw the players off.  Their normal tactics were considerably less effective, and they didn't see it coming.