Author Topic: Medusa  (Read 3154 times)

Offline Jabberwocky

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Re: Medusa
« Reply #15 on: September 17, 2014, 04:58:45 PM »
Alright, I can see your argument now. Well, that would make her A LOT more formidable. Maybe I will go that way with her. I'm not planning on using her as a direct enemy, more like a (problematic but knowledgeable) source of information at first with a potential twist when the PCs discover the true face of "that annoying nerd". But she should be able to defend herself with drastic means. She's a monster of myth, after all, albeit a young and relatively inexperienced one.

You write:
This way, A medusa can:
Round 1:  'Lock eyes' and invoke for a grapple
Round 2: Do a block at the strength of incite effect+strength bonus + free maneuver OR 1 stress + 2(supernatural Strength).


Three more questions to that:
1) Is this the proper grappling order of rounds? I thought it should go like this:
  • Round 1: Manoeuvre for an aspect.
  • Round 2: Tag the aspect and start a grapple. Establish a block.
  • Round 3 and every round after it: Make an unopposed attack, movement, manoeuvre with 1 shift. Then reroll the grapple at -1.
2) What do you mean by "free manoeuvre"? Any potential still untagged manoeuvres from previous exchanges of grappling?
3) I'm thinking about the skills used. I thought about Conviction for normal stress dealing (this is the pure mental force of the creature) and Intimidation for establishing the grapple block (subduing the victim with your horrific appearance so that they don't avert their eyes).
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Offline Taran

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Re: Medusa
« Reply #16 on: September 17, 2014, 05:23:04 PM »
You write:
This way, A medusa can:
Round 1:  'Lock eyes' and invoke for a grapple
Round 2: Do a block at the strength of incite effect+strength bonus + free maneuver OR 1 stress + 2(supernatural Strength).

Yes, sorry.  I was being lazy.

Three more questions to that:
1) Is this the proper grappling order of rounds? I thought it should go like this:
  • Round 1: Manoeuvre for an aspect.
  • Round 2: Tag the aspect and start a grapple. Establish a block.
  • Round 3 and every round after it: Make an unopposed attack, movement, manoeuvre with 1 shift. Then reroll the grapple at -1.
Exactly.

2) What do you mean by "free manoeuvre"? Any potential still untagged manoeuvres from previous exchanges of grappling?
I meant the unopposed maneuver done as a supplemental.  So she could rack up maneuvers, then hit with a big attack to try to take someone out as opposed to gradually do damage.

3) I'm thinking about the skills used. I thought about Conviction for normal stress dealing (this is the pure mental force of the creature) and Intimidation for establishing the grapple block (subduing the victim with your horrific appearance so that they don't avert their eyes).

You would just need one skill.  Deceit or intimidation work.

[-1]Incite effect lets you do maneuvers/blocks based on a skill
[-1]Incite ranged (so you can do it within 2 zones, or sight or whatever the power stipulates - I forget)
[-1]Incite restrictive
[-1]Incite Physical Effect (for weaponized attacks at weapon 2)
[-x] Strength power
      [+X] limitation

You could also take
[-1]Incite potent

So you do "Locked eyes" maneuver at skill +2 (for incite effect)
You grapple at Skill + level of Strength
You do damage regular damage at skill+level of potency for incite effect (+2 or 4)
You do grapple damage of 1+level of STR Power

Sanctaphrax or someone accustomed to balancing custom powers should double-check this.  It feels right to me, though, since Telekinesis is basically incite effect with a STR bonus.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2014, 05:34:36 PM by Taran »

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Medusa
« Reply #17 on: September 17, 2014, 11:03:52 PM »
By the houserules as written (slightly silly concept, but anyway...), incite effect doesn't work with Strength. Letting them work together might be a little powerful since Incite Effect can hit Endurance (ignoring Speed) but for an NPC it shouldn't matter.

So I say go for it.

PS: I'm not totally happy with how similar Incite Effect and Telekinesis have become. But that's a complaint for another time.

Offline Jabberwocky

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Re: Medusa
« Reply #18 on: September 18, 2014, 10:28:49 AM »
Sanctaphrax + Taran: Okay, thank you both a lot.
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Offline vultur

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Re: Medusa
« Reply #19 on: September 21, 2014, 06:15:52 PM »
For another take...

Personally I'd just treat the petrifying gaze as a regular attack. Probably Weapon:4 so that it is an automatic kill on anyone who isn't plot-relevant (no consequences) and doesn't have Toughness powers.

Consequences would represent pulling your eyes away at the last possible moment, leaving you with slowed movements, a temporarily paralyzed limb, etc.

It would have to ignore conventional armor, though. To some degree that can just be part of the general armor rules (eg bulletproof vests don't work so well against knife stabs) but it might need to be part of the power if it ignored all non-magical armor.

Offline Taran

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Re: Medusa
« Reply #20 on: September 21, 2014, 10:27:16 PM »
venomous goes through armour, does it not?  I mean, it doesn't specifically say it does, but if you're poisoned, mundane armour isn't going to do much.  An argument could be made for Toughness.

My point is it could be written straight in the power:  This attack bypasses mundane armour.

Thinking about it more now...

The high weapon value would probably represent petrification the best.  If it hits with the gaze, it kills you.

I actually like representing consequences from the gaze being stuff like:
"skinned knee"
"dislocated shoulder"

Basically, any type of injury you'd get from dodging out of the way.  So, the gaze isn't causing you damage, but you're getting injured trying to get away from the medusa. 

It hurts to jump over a desk and through a window and land on broken glass.  but at least you didn't get turned to stone!

Doing it this way let's you apply your toughness and armour too.

Offline dragoonbuster

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Re: Medusa
« Reply #21 on: September 21, 2014, 11:53:54 PM »
Quote
venomous goes through armour, does it not?  I mean, it doesn't specifically say it does, but if you're poisoned, mundane armour isn't going to do much.  An argument could be made for Toughness.

Since applying Venemous is a maneuver, not an attack, it bypasses armo. Since the "tag for effect" it provides each turn is damage to the stress track, I'd say it wouldn't bypass toughness unless it was Catch-covering.

Thinking about it more now...

The high weapon value would probably represent petrification the best.  If it hits with the gaze, it kills you.

I actually like representing consequences from the gaze being stuff like:
"skinned knee"
"dislocated shoulder"

Basically, any type of injury you'd get from dodging out of the way.  So, the gaze isn't causing you damage, but you're getting injured trying to get away from the medusa. 

It hurts to jump over a desk and through a window and land on broken glass.  but at least you didn't get turned to stone!

Doing it this way let's you apply your toughness and armour too.
[/quote]

I fully agree with this. It's all in the narrative, and the defender controls the narration of his defense.

My take is to snag Natural Weaponry with Potent, Ranged, and Venemous upgrades. Simple, clean, easy to work with.
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