Author Topic: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?  (Read 1944 times)

Offline Dan from Chicago

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Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« on: April 07, 2010, 06:54:43 PM »
It doesn't seem clear:

Quote
Toughness abilities require you to define the
circumstances under which the ability is effective—
this is represented by a stunt attached
to your toughness abilities called the Catch,
defined below.

The Catch can be something that doesn't give you a rebate, like True Love for the White Court. Other templates get toughness abilities, but don't have a catch associated with them. If I take a Lycanthrope character, do I need to invent a catch for it's inhuman recovery?

Thanks

Offline iago

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Re: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2010, 06:59:46 PM »
Every single Toughness ability lists "must be attached to a Catch" in its list of Musts. So... yes. Always. (Though some catches aren't worth anything because they're super-rare. Still needs to be there.)
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Offline Bosh

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Re: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2010, 01:24:32 AM »
For really generic toughness I'd probably choose Magic as the catch since physical toughness might not work against strictly supernatural things.

Offline JosephKell

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Re: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2010, 03:05:14 AM »
FYI: in the rules, "armor against physical stress" is "armor against physical stress."  So if you have Inhuman Toughness with a Catch of "Silver" then it still gives you Armor: 1 against magic that would inflict physical stress.  However Silver would be a +2 catch for a were-form or a +1 for anyone other type.  But most important about a silver catch is that your armor (from Inhuman Toughness) would apply to magical attacks.

A Catch of "Magic" on toughness just means your Armor or Recovery won't apply when you are targeted by magic.  Remember Toughness powers only apply to Physical Stress.  I haven't seen any Mental or Social toughness powers.

Inhuman Recovery is pretty awesome.  Getting rid of Mild Physical Consequences along with your dots of Physical Stress is handy.

Would a catch of magic be a +1 or +2?  I am trying to think of a template that makes sense for a catch of magic.  Only one seems to be the very open ended Emissary of Power.  I think the best way to determine the second bullet point on the cost list is to imagine if the question were posed to a person that was in the dark about magic existing and were asked what they think the catch would be, if they got it on the early guesses, it is a +2, else it is a +1 (unless it is a case of "You have to make him swallow a mushroom stuffed in your wet left sock, which you dipped in an eastern running river with the first rays of dawn shining on the act").  But I seriously can't imagine a monster that falls under the "Duh, use magic" header.
If you have to ask, it probably breaks a Law of Magic.  You're just trying to get the Doom of Damocles.

Offline iago

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Re: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2010, 02:02:43 AM »
Every single Toughness ability lists "must be attached to a Catch" in its list of Musts. So... yes. Always. (Though some catches aren't worth anything because they're super-rare. Still needs to be there.)

(We're having a late-hour discussion about whether it's truly a must for the Recovery powers; it's definitely a must for Toughness/Physical Immunity, but Recovery might get a downgrade to a Should. I'm not totally sure about that yet tho.)
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Offline vultur

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Re: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2010, 04:15:16 AM »
So what do you do for things that are just "big scary monsters" but don't have any particular thematic vulnerability -- inhumanly tough because they are gigantic and strongly built ... like a Tyrannosaurus rex? What about things that are tough because of armor-like skin, like the (plot-irrelevant CHANGES SPOILER)
(click to show/hide)
)
« Last Edit: April 10, 2010, 04:18:47 AM by vultur »

Offline iago

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Re: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2010, 04:17:04 AM »
Assume they have a +0 Catch, and if the players come up with a creative bit of research that sounds plausible as a weakness later on, run with it.
Fred Hicks
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Offline vultur

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Re: Do Toughness abilities ALWAYS require a catch?
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2010, 04:19:37 AM »
Assume they have a +0 Catch, and if the players come up with a creative bit of research that sounds plausible as a weakness later on, run with it.

OK, makes sense.