Author Topic: Custom Power List  (Read 169580 times)

Offline Silverblaze

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #555 on: October 08, 2011, 01:54:10 PM »
Does the power effect mental stress or physical stress tracks?

Offline ways and means

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #556 on: October 08, 2011, 02:13:39 PM »
Its a mental (well conseptual) attack so it does mental stress, basically it destroy 'I' completely soul, mind, spirit, the physical  consequence was the result of the destruction of the persona leading to a dissociation of the particles that made up that once person (basically I went with this extremely questionable interpretation of reality so the power cool have an impressive looking disintegration effect rather than leave mounds of life-less husks).
« Last Edit: October 08, 2011, 02:53:58 PM by ways and means »
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #557 on: October 08, 2011, 07:12:34 PM »
Mechanically speaking, it looks fine-ish. But I'm not a huge fan of forcing people to defend with Conviction. I think that Discipline should be an option.

In other news, I'm going to be collecting a bunch of powers I wrote elsewhere next post.

Feedback would be greatly appreciated, especially on Spirit Form and Telekinesis.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #558 on: October 08, 2011, 07:43:29 PM »
MENTAL LIBRARY [-2]
Description: Your knowledge is so extensive that you have no need for printed libraries. This power can represent a perfect memory, a computer in your head, knowledge of everything ever written down, or a number of other things.
Musts: You must have an aspect reflecting your extensive knowledge.
Skills Affected: Lore, Scholarship, possibly others
Effects:
Mental Library. Your memories constitute a library on every subject that you are familiar with. The rating of the library on a given subject is equal to the skill that is used for knowledge of that subject. You may access this library freely, and other characters may use it by questioning you in detail.
Inexplicable Knowledge. You are no longer bound by the normal human limits on knowledge. You may make assessments and declarations concerning things that you cannot observe directly, either looking back through your memories to examine the thing again or perceiving that thing in mysterious and incomprehensible ways. Players should work together with the GM to work out the exact limits of this power.
Improved Mental Library [-1]. Increase the rating of each of your mental libraries by two.
Instant Recall [-1]. All research using your mental library is two time increments faster.

MAGICAL SELF-ENHANCEMENT [+varies]
Description: Many supernatural abilities can be mimicked through an application of spellcasting. But that requires specialization, of the sort that this power represents.
Musts: A character must possess the Evocation, Channeling, and/or Sponsored Magic powers in order to use this one. Other powers to link this power to are also required.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline, Lore
Effects:
Limited Powers. When you take this power, you must select at least one other supernatural power that you possess. Which powers may be selected with this power is a matter of the GM's discretion. The selected powers are disabled, and the character gets a rebate equal to one-third of the powers' total cost.
Magical Self-Enhancement. This power allows the user to grant themselves access to the selected powers through evocation. Such evocations may be of any element that makes sense, and they may be offensive or defensive. The power required of an evocation that grants powers is equal to the total refresh cost of the granted powers plus the intended duration. The user may extend this effect using the normal rules for the extension of evocation, and they may choose to grant themselves only a few of the selected powers. This also allows them to grant lesser versions of the selected powers. For example, a character who had selected Supernatural Strength and Inhuman Speed with this power may grant themselves Inhuman Strength for 5 exchanges with a 7-shift evocation.

DUAL NATURE [-0]
Description: You are solid to both ghosts and men, like a cat.
Musts: A character must possess the Ghost Speaker power in order to use this one. This power is not compatible with Spirit Form.
Skills Affected: Many.
Effects:
Dual Nature. Your body is solid to both material and immaterial objects. You may interact normally with characters that have the Spirit Form power and other incorporeal things. This also allows such things to interact normally with you, so be careful around violently-inclined spirits.

SPIRIT FORM [-3]
Description: You are an incorporeal spirit form, able to pass through walls and other barriers in the mortal world. Thresholds still have an almost physical reality to you, however.
Skills Affected: Many, especially Conviction.
Effects:
Insubstantial. You are invisible, inaudible, and incorporeal. This means that you can neither affect nor be affected by physical things, except as dictated under Vulnerabilities and Manifestation. Any magic that you cast is also incorporeal, and useless against anything physical. However, you can perceive the physical world normally, and under some circumstances it may be possible for physical characters to perceive and communicate with you. Characters with this power may affect each other freely.
Shaped By Belief. Your very existence is defined by belief. As a result, you are not closely bound by physical reality. You may make Maneuvers and Declarations with Conviction to define your physical form and the nature of your interactions with the world.
Vulnerabilities. Certain physical things can harm you despite your intangibility. These things include ghost dust, fire, and sunlight. What's more, you cannot cross thresholds at all.
Manifestation [-2]. Once per scene, you may force yourself to manifest physically. This negates the Insubstantial trapping of this power until the scene ends, you choose to become immaterial, or you get taken out in a physical conflict. Using this trapping is an insane act, and as such this trapping may not be possessed by sane ghosts.
Poltergeist [-1]. You can exert a tiny amount of force on the material world. Normally this does nothing of importance, but when machinery is around you can often interfere with it. You may use Conviction to make maneuvers disrupting physical machinery.
Spiritual Physics Abuse [-1]. The laws of physics only affect you if you think they should. Teleportation is possible for you. You may substitute your Conviction skill for your Might skill when exerting force, your Athletics skill when moving, or for any other physical skill as the GM feels is appropriate.
Mind = Matter [+1]. Your body and your mind are the same thing. You have one stress track that is used for both mental and physical stress. Its length is determined by your Conviction skill. Toughness powers apply to this track, but mental stress automatically satisfies catches. Consequences taken on this track do not recover naturally unless you provide some form of special justification, generally involving the absorption of memories. More severe consequences require more elaborate justifications.

TELEKINESIS [-3]
Description: You can exert physical force with the power of your mind alone.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline
Effects:
Mind Over Matter. You may use your mind to exert force upon targets within three zones. This allows you to use all applications of the Might skill at a range of three zones, using your Conviction skill instead of your Might skill. You may also perform other physical tasks mentally with a range of three zones, using your Discipline skill to represent your dexterity.
Telekinetic Attacks. You may make physical attacks and maneuvers against targets within three zones using your mental powers. These attacks and maneuvers are controlled with Discipline and may be made with or without a weapon. Attacks made with this power without a weapon are weapon: 2.
Blades Of Force [-1]. When using Telekinetic Attacks without a weapon, your attacks are weapon: 4.
Force Field [-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 blocks.
Infinite Range [-1]. You may use this power against any target within your line of sight.
Telekinetic Self-Propulsion [-2]. 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.
Metaphysical Strength [-0]. (Requires Inhuman Or Better Strength) Your Strength powers apply to your Telekinesis rather than to your physical body. This increases your Conviction when using it to lift or break things, helps with your mental grapples, and increases the stress inflicted by your Telekinetic Attacks.
Unification Of Mind And Body [-1]. (Requires Metaphysical Strength) Your Strength powers apply to both your Telekinesis and your physical body. This provides all the benefits of Metaphysical Strength alongside all the benefits of ordinary strength.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2011, 02:35:12 AM by Sanctaphrax »

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #559 on: October 08, 2011, 07:55:08 PM »
Context:

Mental Library is an attempt to represent the powers of Bob and The Archive. It is also intended for possible PC use. I'm pretty happy with it, though the wording could be better.

Magical Self-Enhancement is an attempt to model Aristedes' powers while answering the persistent question about how to give yourself powers with magic. It's not perfect (it's complex and its rebate is awkward), but I think it's pretty good. At least, I can't think of a way to make it better. An upgrade power that lets you use it on other people will be made eventually.

Dual Nature is a minor afterthought made to model Mister's ability to touch Dresden. It's kinda boring, but oh well.

Spirit Form is a rewrite of a canon power intended to address my dislike of this part of canon while making ghosts as depicted in GS stattable. This is the second draft of it, and I must admit it's still rather clunky. But I think it addresses most of what ghosts and other spirits should be capable of. Possession and astral projection remain to be statted.

Telekinesis is what it sounds like. This is also a second draft, slightly more powerful and less upgrade-heavy than the original on account of reader feedback.

Offline Silverblaze

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #560 on: October 08, 2011, 10:55:31 PM »
I approve the other powers listed recently by Sanctaphrax, they look solid to me, though perhaps Mental Library needs care when allowed to be taken by PCs.

Changes or additions I would like to see done to this power:


TELEKINESIS [-3]
Description: You can exert physical force with the power of your mind alone.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline
Effects:
Mind Over Matter. You may use your mind to exert force upon targets within line of sight. This allows you to use all applications of the Might skill at a range of three zones, using your Conviction skill instead of your Might skill. You may also perform other physical tasks mentally with line of sight, using your Discipline skill to represent your dexterity. Also due to lack of need for leverage I propose the roll of conviction (in place of might) gain a +1 or +2 Telekinetic Attacks. You may make physical attacks and maneuvers against targets within line of sight using your mental powers. These attacks and maneuvers are controlled with Discipline and may be made with or without a weapon. Attacks made with this power without a weapon are weapon: 2.
Blades Of Force [-1]. When using Telekinetic Attacks without a weapon, your attacks are weapon: 4. I feel this may be redundant since you can just use a weapon with X rating or weight for damage.  (Cars, greatswords, machine guns...buildings...etc)
Force Field [-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 blocks.Can this be used to create armor also?
Infinite Range [-1]. You may use this power against any target within your line of sight.I deem this redundant.
Telekinetic Self-Propulsion [-2]. 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.This should be included in the core power.
Metaphysical Strength [-0]. (Requires Inhuman Or Better Strength) Your Strength powers apply to your Telekinesis rather than to your physical body. This increases your Conviction when using it to lift or break things, helps with your mental grapples, and increases the stress inflicted by your Telekinetic Attacks.
Unification Of Mind And Body [-1]. (Requires Metaphysical Strength) Your Strength powers apply to both your Telekinesis and your physical body. This provides all the benefits of Metaphysical Strength alongside all the benefits of ordinary strength.

The creation of this power sort of demands a need for rules regarding dropping heavy objects on people, holding people in the air so they can be virtually defenseless while others attack them, or holding them underwater to drown people...over fires to burn them etc.  Though I suppsoe rules from other parts of hte system can easily be applied...it just raised a few questions like those I mentioned.

Overall I like TK (telekinesis) it just needs a few tweaks...in my opinion anyhow.

Offline ways and means

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #561 on: October 08, 2011, 11:11:05 PM »
With telekinesis I would probably include the defense trappings of weapons with the main power, it makes sense for someone with even basic telekinesis to be able to catch blades and fists, but deflecting bullets and magic make less sense and so would fit the Force Field Power. Otherwise I think it is good.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #562 on: October 09, 2011, 03:22:20 AM »
1. Holding people in nasty places is just a grapple combined with abuse of an environmental hazard. Dropping someone is just narration on an attack, according to YS page 319.

2. Blades Of Force would be pretty useful for people who either lack the strength to lift something worth Weapon 4 or who spend time in wide open spaces. Or to people who want to avoid the massive property damage incurred by using a car as a bludgeoning instrument.

Also, you aren't supposed to be able to wield guns with this. Not that you'd need to...

3. Why upgrade the range to LoS? I'm not opposed to the idea, I'd just like to hear the reason.

4. I don't intend to fold basic defense and flight into the base power. Here's why:

4.1. There are valid character concepts that include telekinesis but not flight or shielding. It should be possible to stat up a character with telekinesis who can't fly. Especially when you consider that some telekinetics won't have the power to lift themselves.

4.2. I want the base power to remain fairly affordable. Folding in those two trappings would make it rather expensive.

Offline Silverblaze

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #563 on: October 09, 2011, 03:37:12 AM »
1. Holding people in nasty places is just a grapple combined with abuse of an environmental hazard. Dropping someone is just narration on an attack, according to YS page 319.

2. Blades Of Force would be pretty useful for people who either lack the strength to lift something worth Weapon 4 or who spend time in wide open spaces. Or to people who want to avoid the massive property damage incurred by using a car as a bludgeoning instrument.

Also, you aren't supposed to be able to wield guns with this. Not that you'd need to...

3. Why upgrade the range to LoS? I'm not opposed to the idea, I'd just like to hear the reason.

4. I don't intend to fold basic defense and flight into the base power. Here's why:

4.1. There are valid character concepts that include telekinesis but not flight or shielding. It should be possible to stat up a character with telekinesis who can't fly. Especially when you consider that some telekinetics won't have the power to lift themselves.

4.2. I want the base power to remain fairly affordable. Folding in those two trappings would make it rather expensive.

Pretty sure, you can lift man sized things with a 2 might...people should not have the power if they don't intend to have a 2 conviction.  Much like people should not make a spell caster without higher than a 2 conviction.  One should be able to lift themselves.  I understand you reasoning for not lifting yourself...concepts that can't fly...I accept that.  Just defending my stance on it.

Line of sight:  In most forms of media telekinesis is not based on range, be it comics, TV, books, movies, gaming.  Most people can lift it if they can (A see it...or (B picture it in their mind.  If you want people to be able to lift things without seeing it, I suppose 3 zones away is acceptable, but keep in mind 3 zones can be a very short distance.  I don't think it should cost more to be able to use TK on things you can see regardless of range.  Wizards can cast spells at pretty much any range (within reason) most guns reach farther than 3 zones...etc.

Defense: I wouldn't fold it into the power either.

Wielding guns: maybe not wield, but anyone with the power should be able to pull the trigger...or stop the gun from firing.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #564 on: October 09, 2011, 03:48:00 AM »
Point taken about the range. I'll just toss that in, it won't change much. (Honestly, that upgrade probably wasn't worth a full refresh in the first place).

On further reflection, I'd allow gun-wielding with this power, but you'd have to use the Guns skill modified by Discipline to do it.

Preventing the trigger from being pulled would be a block.

Disagree with some minor mathematical points, but whatever.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #565 on: October 09, 2011, 06:59:35 AM »
Currently thinking about the powers promised in the context for these powers. Possession, Astral Projection, and the use of magic to give others powers.

Astral Projection should be fairly easy. It's just Human Form that only applies to Spirit Form with an extra rider saying that you leave an empty body behind. But it needs to cost a point of refresh to balance out the fact that it avoids most of the drawbacks of Spirit Form.

Possession is going to be tricky. It's supposed to be a benevolent "teamwork" thing, not a domination thing. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Extending Magical Self-Enhancement to cover others will be easy to write but hard to cost. Do you think forgoing the rebate is cost enough?

PS: Just worked out a couple of minor edits for Spirit Form. Need to prohibit rebate powers and explain that the insanity with manifestation thing only applies to ghosts.
PPS: Would you be willing to use Spirit Form as written here in your games? This goes for the other powers too, but especially for Spirit Form. I intend to get a lot of use out of it.

Offline Rephath

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #566 on: October 09, 2011, 10:56:46 PM »
Skepticism Beyond Reason has problems. To start:

1. It should cost more. The increased cost on other powers is not a good way to balance an undercosted power.
2. Some of its effects are hard to understand.
3. The anti-faerie thing makes little sense to me. How is it connected to the rest of the power?
4. If this is a power, then it's a power. Saying otherwise makes little sense.

1. Yeah, the power allows you to do a lot. However, it also carries with it mandatory penalties. The biggest one is taking social stress every time you see something supernatural happen. Also, some of its benefits really aren't benefits. The +2 to resisting believing in the supernatural is beyond useless. It actually allows your character to remain ignorant of important facts rather than accepting useful information. It also grants a +2 to resisting social stress that without this power you wouldn't be taking in the first place.

Generally, I tried to balance the advantages this power gave you with the disadvantages and figured out the cost from there, not just totaling the advantages and ringing up the cost.

2. I should work on clarifying.

3. I added the anti-fairy thing because it sounded funny. It seemed like a plausible catch. I should probably cut that.

4. Powers allow you to do supernatural things and to break the limitations of being human. A thief who can turn into a mouse can get around a lot of mortal security. A soldier who can use magic suddenly has a lot more options. Someone who takes this power is still limited to doing things a mortal can. Hence, why I would argue you still count as a vanilla mortal even after taking it.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #567 on: October 10, 2011, 01:11:57 AM »
I suggest that you ditch the drawbacks and replace them with compels. They're not easy to understand or elegant, and I have no idea how they are supposed to work. So they wouldn't be very effective as drawbacks. Compels, on the other hand, are easy and effective.

Also. Your argument for why this shouldn't be a power is terrible. Here's why:

1. A character with Inhuman Strength is still limited to doing things a mortal can. It provides no bonus that a whole pile of stunts wouldn't give.
2. This power actually lets you do things mortals can't. It lets you create holy ground and improve thresholds. It's just as much a power as, say, Bless This House.
3. The definition of "power" actually has more to do with mechanics than with whether something is magical. Made Of Tentacles can be a stunt, while Claws can be a power. The Inhuman Strength of a gorilla is a power too. And so on.

Offline cybertier

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #568 on: October 13, 2011, 08:53:55 PM »
I don't know if this has been done before. Didn't find anything in the Wiki.

True Seeing [-2]
A more specialised form of The Sight allows you to pierce any Power that hides somethings True Appearance from you. Might that be a Veil, Glamour or Shapeshifting.


Don't know if its overpriced/underpriced or if it should just give a substantial bonus.
I gave that power to a Priest NSC in my game.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #569 on: October 14, 2011, 05:33:23 AM »
It looks okay, I think.

But I'd rather it gave a substantial bonus instead of being absolute. I'm generally not a fan of absolute powers.