Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)

[Sanctaphrax]

That's just an illusion cast by evil space elves who want to deceive you into thinking I made a mistake.

[Gozer]

hmmm... I really like some of what you did there, but... I don't know about just making it a weapon 3 attack. It doesn't seem like it should be that effective against a standard spell slinging mortal (who I pictured just wondering why those punches packed that extra wallop...) vrs against a ghost or summoned creature, who it should practically knock chunks out of. Hence, the mechanic you didn't like.
Plus, I like forcing characters to chose where they put those skill points- does he add a point to Fists, or Conviction? Oh, the torture...
Definately incorporating Enclosing Threshold,though... that's just great. Swiped.

What are your (or anybody else's) thoughts on some of the ramifications of the power?

Thanks again for the time (and I'd love to see that Shadow Caster template you mentioned...)

[Sanctaphrax]

It would be easy enough to make the weapon rating vary. I'm thinking 1 against things that can cross thresholds by giving up some power, 3 against things that can beat thresholds down, and 5 against things that can't cross even the weakest thresholds.

There's still a fair bit of skill conflict here, incidentally. Conviction, Fists, and Might are all useful with this Power.

I'll take a shot at the Shadow Caster later today or tomorrow.

[Locnil]

That's just an illusion cast by evil space elves who want to deceive you into thinking I made a mistake.

And this would be?

I seem to be making a lot of minor errors at the moment, I just posted a Power without a Refresh cost.

[Sanctaphrax]

A dastardly communist plot that makes use of KGB computer-hacking resources.

Oh, and if it looks like I also left out the Skills Affected, that's because of the winter solstice interfering with your computer monitor.

I refer of course to the special winter solstice that's in the middle of January.

[Hick Jr]

Accursed special-solstice space elves! Damn you and your Kremlin (note to self- stat up communist goblin sect, use in campaign) agency!

[Sanctaphrax]

Okay, slight problem here. There are three custom Powers that could represent using shadows to attack. Telekinesis, Natural Weaponry, and Incite Effect.

And those Powers don't work together as well as they should.

I'm pretty sure I can solve this by editing Telekinesis and Long Reach. I'll post the edited Powers in my next post.

SHADOWCASTER

There is power in shadows. It's a rare and subtle power, but there are people who can use it. Those people are called Shadowcasters.

All Shadowcasters are at home in darkness, and they can all manipulate their shadow to move things and to hit people with. Some of them can also exploit shadows in more esoteric ways, to step through shadows and to attack other people's souls through their shadows.

Musts: A Shadowcaster must have a High Concept that reflects their shadowy nature. In addition, every Shadowcaster must take the following Powers:

Cloak Of Shadows [-1]
Telekinesis [-2]
Incite Effect (Shadow Control, with Conviction or Discipline) [-1]

Options: The shadows of experienced Shadowcasters grow stronger and more versatile, allowing Shadowcasters to purchase Strength Powers, Extra Appendages, and upgrades for Telekinesis.

Some Shadowcasters can see the true nature of the world by looking at its shadows, allowing them to purchase The Sight. Shadowcasters with The Sight can learn to travel from shadow to shadow, allowing them to purchase Teleportation and Worldwalker with the Limitation that neither Power can be used if there is no shadow available to step into or out of.

The most dangerous Shadowcasters can consume, manipulate, and destroy the shadows of others. Such shadowcasters can purchase Ritual (Shadow) as well as reflavoured versions of Blood Drinker and All Creatures Are Equal Before God. The Shadowcaster version of Blood Drinker works through eating shadows rather than blood, and the Shadowcaster version of All Creatures Are Equal Before God works by attacking a shadow rather than a body.

The most powerful Shadowcasters are constantly wreathed in darkness. Any character with at least 9 Refresh worth of Shadowcaster Powers gets a version of the Aura Of Influence Power that creates a darkness-related Aspect.

Important Skills: Discipline, Conviction, Stealth

Minimum Refresh Cost: -4

[Sanctaphrax]

Turns out I'm not using Long Reach here at all. But I reworded it, and I think it's better now.

LONG REACH [-1]
Description: You have very long arms or some other advantage that lets you punch someone from the other side of a room.
Skills Affected: Might, Fists, Weapons, other skills
Effects:
Long Reach. You have a basic range of one zone. Anything you could normally only do to things in your zone, you can do from a zone away.
Extended Reach [-1]. You have a basic range of three zones.
Restricted Reach [+1]. (Requires Extended Reach) Your Extended Reach power applies only to a specific type of action, like swinging swords or picking pockets.

Telekinesis is a Power that's been through a lot. I've had plenty of arguments about it, and I've come to realize I was probably on the wrong side of some of them. Its old mechanics made it pricier than I'd prefer, and its wording was needlessly complicated. Those two factors combined to make it hard to use alongside certain other Powers.

But I think I've fixed that. Tell me if I'm wrong.

TELEKINESIS [-2]
Description: You can exert physical force with the power of your mind alone.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline
Effects:
Mind Over Matter. Whenever you would use your Might skill, use your Conviction skill instead. If you have a Strength Power, apply its effects to your Conviction skill whenever they would apply to your Might skill.
Telekinetic Reach. You have a basic range of one zone. Anything you could normally only do to things in your zone, you can do from a zone away. If you use this effect to do something which requires good fine motor control, your Discipline restricts whatever skill you use.
Telekinetic Attacks. You may use your Discipline skill to hit people. Attacks made this way include stress bonuses from Strength Powers.
Enhanced Telekinesis [-1]. Your basic range is equal to your line of sight. In addition, attacks that you make with this Power are now weapon 2 and may be enhanced with any Natural Weaponry upgrade except for Summoned, Explosive, and Ranged.
Defensive Telekinesis [-1]. You are protected by a shell of telekinetic power. You may use your Discipline skill to defend against physical attacks or to create physical barriers.
Self-Propelling Telekinesis [-1]. (Requires Defensive Telekinesis) Your telekinesis is strong enough to let you carry yourself. This allows you to fly as though you had the Wings power, using Discipline instead of Athletics to move around in the air.

[Magicpockets]

A small question: How are Tracing and Natural Weaponry balanced against each other? I'm interested in playing a character that can pull weaponry out of thin air, and both seem rather interesting, although tracing appears to be rather overpriced when compared to Natural Weaponry.

[Sanctaphrax]

Tracing does have some advantages over Natural Weaponry. It lets you create lasting items, it lets you create weapons for other people, and depending on what upgrades you take for Natural Weaponry Tracing beats it either in weapon rating or in range at 2 Refresh.

So there are reasons to take Tracing.

But if you just wanna hit people, I suggest you take Natural Weaponry. Natural Weaponry is 100% about hitting people, so it's better for that than Tracing is.

PS: I'm actually not sure whether Tracing is correctly priced. But I figure it's good enough for most games.

[Mrmdubois]

Telekinesis looks way better.

[Mrmdubois]

I just had a random thought.  How would wards interact with that Thresh hold power that got put put up just recently?

[Tedronai]

TELEKINESIS [-2]
Description: You can exert physical force with the power of your mind alone.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline
Effects:
Mind Over Matter. Whenever you would use your Might skill, use your Conviction skill instead. If you have a Strength Power, apply its effects to your Conviction skill whenever they would apply to your Might skill.
Telekinetic Reach. You have a basic range of one zone. Anything you could normally only do to things in your zone, you can do from a zone away. If you use this effect to do something which requires good fine motor control, your Discipline restricts whatever skill you use.
Telekinetic Attacks. You may use your Discipline skill to hit people. Attacks made this way include stress bonuses from Strength Powers.
Enhanced Telekinesis [-1]. Your basic range is equal to your line of sight. In addition, attacks that you make with this Power are now weapon 2 and may be enhanced with any Natural Weaponry upgrade except for Summoned, Explosive, and Ranged.
Defensive Telekinesis [-1]. You are protected by a shell of telekinetic power. You may use your Discipline skill to defend against physical attacks or to create physical barriers.
Self-Propelling Telekinesis [-1]. (Requires Defensive Telekinesis) Your telekinesis is strong enough to let you carry yourself. This allows you to fly as though you had the Wings power, using Discipline instead of Athletics to move around in the air.

I see no plausible justification for the mandatory nature of Mind Over Matter.
Recommend: insert 'you may' before 'use your Conviction'

The second clause of Mind Over Matter is phrased in such a way that it might create unintended side-effects (particularly the trapping modifying the rules of other skills being modified by might).  I'm not entirely sure how to solve this without creating further difficulties, but I'm also away from books at the moment.  I might have some insight later.

Telekinetic Reach should be clarified to apply only to physical interaction, not 'anything you could normally do'.  Telekinesis should not inherently provide an upgrade to Incite Emotion, object reading, or perception.

Telekinetic Attacks, 1st clause: I would amend with a clarification that these be treated as melee (either fists or weapons) attacks except as specified, or that they be treated in some other fashion if that is the intent (which I suspect might very well be).  Currently, their treatment (for instance, with defense skills) is ambiguous.


Overall, though, it looks to be a significant improvement from what I remember.

[Sanctaphrax]

Glad to hear I wasn't wrong to be happy with this rewrite.

Somebody with Living Threshold treats Wards as though they were (Conviction) shifts weaker than they are. So if Conviction > Ward strength, they can just walk through.

Plus they can try to counterspell Wards by punching them. But that's not likely to work because Ward complexity tends to be much higher than a single skill roll can be.

Tomorrow...

I will make Mind Over Matter optional.

I'll take a look at the Strength interaction, too.

I'll do something with Telekinetic Reach. Not sure what. I want it to work with Incite Effect, because Incite Effect and Telekinesis can be used to represent two parts of the same ability. Like in the Shadowcaster template, which lets you do Incite Effect maneuvers with your shadow or move stuff with it. But it certainly shouldn't negate ranged perception penalties, and there might be some Powers that shouldn't work with it.

I'll try and clarify Telekinetic Attacks.

[Mrmdubois]

I should have been more clear, can wards be built on them?