Author Topic: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)  (Read 160564 times)

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2011, 12:39:11 AM »
Sponsored Magic:

Rune Magic [-4]: Standard Sponsor Benefits, 12 Rune Item Slots (equivalent of Enchanted Item Slots) if paying at -4 (If given a cost discount for Evocation or Thaumaturgy, it loses four Rune Item Slots for each point). These slots can be used to emulate any Evocation or Thaumaturgy effect, but may only be used for Rune Magic Items or Consumable Runes (although Enchanted Item Slots may also to pay for Rune Magic Items or Consumable Runes). A Rune Magic Item works and functions the same as an Enchanted Item (pre-prepared items) and a Consumable Rune works and functions the same as Potions or other Consumables (one-use runes). No channeling (all magical effects are done by using the Rune Item Slots). Others may use Rune Magic Items without using an extra slot to make it usable by others.

Rune Item Slot = Enchanted Item Slot
Rune Magic Item = Enchanted Item
Consumable Runes = Potions/Consumables

Yuletide Magic [-4 Refresh]

Drawing on the power of the Saint Nicholas, you’re able to cast spells that fit his essential nature: warmth and coldness, charity, protection, travel, and power over secrets. These magics are under the sway and watch of Saint Nicholas himself; making use of it will inevitably catch his notice.

Cost: As normal Sponsored Magic

Effects: Standard Sponsored Magic benefits, including counting as an Evocation element, allowing evocation spell effects that encourage or make use of warmth or coldness, charity, protection, travel, and a power over secrets. In addition, Yuletide Magic may be used to duplicate Conjuration or Warding effects at Evocation speeds and methods, and receives a +1 bonus to Control and Complexity on Conjuration. Yuletide Magic’s Evocations always includes either warmth or cold in some way, depending on the element being used.

Boon of the Fisher King.
Though today he seems to be little more than a senile old man, the Fishers King is in fact a very old and very powerful faerie. He is remembered in the mortal legends of Bran the blessed and king Arthur - the wounded monarch on which the vitality of the land depends, his life sustained by the magic cauldron that can restore the dead to life. Later the title fisher king was tied into the Christian idea of Jesus as the fisher of men, and the legends interwove into the tales of Joseph of Arimathaea and christianised. All things considered it's not surprising the poor guy doesn't really know who he is any more.

In the legends with his vitality curtailed by his wound, the monarch is surrounded by a wasteland. The return of the cauldron (or grail) by his questing knights allows him to hold back the decay and the land live again once more. But it is a never ending battle and can only be achieved with the help of those who can share his vision and enact it- alone he is still the wounded impotent king.

The Fisher King is fond of sending his people on quests which allow them to test themselves and discovered powers, skills and talents that have been lying dormant with in them. Thus he assists them to learn more of themselves and fulfil their full potential. As a result the creative powers of the king are now focused on inspiring the people around him - consider it similar to the Greek muses. And this is the power he gifts to those of his court,

Sponsored magic
Description: The spells performed under the power of the Fisher kings boon derive from the questing and 'muse'. They also have a certain level of healing that is drawn from the cauldron of life; though most of that power is being used elsewhere (see the pool of LIFE section)

Cost: 4 (- the usual reductions if you have evocation or Thaumaturgy but most of those using this magic are Faerie or changelings and thus won't benefit from the discount.)

Benefits: Where as the powers of the courts of the queens focus on evocations, the Fisher king is more Thaumaturgy orientated. For example;

•Conjurations to allow the 'visions' to be shared and ideas to be prototyped,
•Divination to assist in the quests,
•Crafting of items of power so chosen mortals can be gifted the ability to excel.
There is also a massive amount of psychomancy going on, as the mortal artists and scientists that attract the attention of the Faerie are 'inspired' to greater achievements in the goal of driving back the wasteland.

Limitation:  The power is derived from the Fisher King, it is essentially creative, any attempt to carry out an activity that would expand the wasteland, or discourage a mortals creativity would clash. Destructive spells would only be appropriated as 'self defence' -or defending a protected mortal, or one of their creations.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2011, 02:28:58 AM by Sanctaphrax »

Offline Quackerjack

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #16 on: May 13, 2011, 07:05:46 PM »
You are my hero. Really.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2011, 02:25:06 AM »
Thank you. I will strive to live up to that role.

Anyway, I took a look at what I have here. Most of it needs reformatting, some of it needs rewriting, some of it should just not exist.

Here's what I intend to get rid of, and why:

Red Hot Knives (I don't see the point of this. You can do the same thing with a stunt.)

Expansive Magical Repetoire (This is a stunt, in my opinion.)

Reading The Surface (Too similar to Telepathy.)

Gifted With Soul (This is basically an aspect. I think that a more general phylactery power might be a good idea.)

Danger Sense (Too similar to Lucky Dodge.)

It's All In The Cards (Too similar to Breath Weapon.)

Time Is My Friend (Very weird and very overpowered.)

Embodiment Of The Living Tempest (Seems like a whole bunch of powers stapled together.)

Siren's Song (I'm not sure what this does. Also, it seems like this would be better handled with Incite Emotion or Superlative Musician.)

Gaze Of Lost Emotion (Just get Incite Emotion: Apathy.)

Force Lightning of Lolz (Too similar to Breath Weapon.)

Sparkle (Lame joke.)

Force Field (I can't tell what this is supposed to do.)

IP?... Please, Dirty Little Secrets, Handle Aura (These are just Supernatural Senses.)

Disability Super(natural) Power (Seems like a trouble aspect to me.)

Roll The Dice (I have no idea what this is supposed to do.)

Please tell me if something is missing from this list or on it when it shouldn't be. Give reasons.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2011, 02:30:16 AM by Sanctaphrax »

Offline ways and means

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2011, 08:56:21 AM »
I would add this too the get rid of list

Gambler [-1]
Description: You have the ability to manipulate probability in a limited way. But it's far from risk free; in fact, the risk is the reason that it works.
Effect: At any time you may pay any number of fate points to make a bet with the GM. If the GM rejects the bet, you get your fate point(s) back. If he accepts and you win, you get back twice the number of fate points that you paid. Some GMs may allow odds other  than double or nothing, but they are in no way obliged to.

Any power that has no in character effect seems a bit stupid, if the gm wants to bet fate points  he can do so power or not.

This power needs to be another refresh at least possibly three

Displacement [-1]
Description: You are not where you appear to be. A glamor or other optical effect obscures your true location, making it difficult for opponents to properly target you.
Musts: You must have a high concept that would justify this power, such as Cloaked Malk, or Nevernever Mugger.
Skills Affected: Athletics.
Effects:
Missed Me, Missed Me. You gain a +2 bonus to your Athletics for the purpose of defending against attacks. This bonus does not require your attention or concentration: should you be successfully ambushed, this bonus will remain, granting you a minimum Athletics of Fair (+2). You may also use this bonus to any Athletics check to perform a maneuver intended to confound or disorient an opponent. If you take a Full Defense action, this bonus is increased to +4.
Blinking [-1]. When you purchase this upgrade, your power is not an optical effect: you are actually changing positions rapidly during combat, by stepping back and forth between the Nevernever and the real world. In addition to the Missed Me, Missed Me effect, you may set up an Ambush (page 142) as a supplemental action every round. However, anyone who can simultaneously perceive the real world and the Nevernever is immune to this effect.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2011, 10:03:48 AM by ways and means »
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Offline Silverblaze

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2011, 08:27:56 PM »
Rapid Strike. You can make a number of attacks up to your skill with one action. Each attack suffers a penalty equal to the number of extra attacks made.

Likely way too powerful for PC's to have.  The system was not designed with multiple attacks/actions per PC per round in mind. 

Kulan Do: NPC only for similar reasons.

I was curious about the Multi Headed Creature feature...will it be added?

Will Size Doesn't Matter... and ...But It Sure Helps be added to this list or the stunt list?...if they need refined give me opinions on how and they'll be retooled.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #20 on: May 15, 2011, 09:42:51 PM »
I'm a bit sad to see Gambler picked out for elimination, since I wrote it. But I see your point. It's gone.

Power level editing will be done later.

A version of Multi-Headed has already been added to the word document from which this list is copied.

Size Doesn't Matter will be added soon, as will some other newish powers.

I disagree entirely about Rapid Strike and Kulan-Do. If they're too powerful, I'll make them more expensive.

But for what it's worth, I don't think they're all that impressive.

Kulan-Do only works if you get missed. Intelligent opponents will stop attacking and start maneuvering once they realize you have it.

Rapid Strike costs a Fate Point to use in addition to its cost to buy. And it imposes a pretty large penalty. So it really won't be useful except against opponents with lousy defences that are somehow still threatening enough to spend FP against.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

Offline Belial666

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #21 on: May 15, 2011, 10:00:16 PM »
Gambler: Bets with the GM in real life can be handled just like normal bets, no powers needed. Bets with the GM in-game are rather impossible, seeing as he controls most things in the game.

Quick Shifting: Rather balanced.

Fomor Magic: It should say something about extra hexing. Otherwise OK.

Incite Emotion trappings: Balanced.

Rune Magic: losing bonuses if you already got evocation and thaumaturgy makes this weaker than other sponsored magics though still useful.

The lord is my Shepard: Overpowered as it does defensively what Incite does on attack AND gives mental armor AND possibly improves other powers.

Force Field: A block of 2 is mostly useless - it would only prevent attacks of Average or less. Not to mention that blocks are usually broken when you bypass them once.

Sparkle: Comparable to Flesh mask so it's balanced. Beware of stacking with other social powers and of the lameness factor.

Danger Sense: Underpowered. A -2 power gives a bunch of +2 bonuses without the need for a FP. Reduce it to -1.

Uncontrolled Power: Uncontrollable trigger for a power already exists and is a +2.

Telepathy: Rather weird power. That said, it is mostly balanced except for Psychic Strike causing mental stress to the attacker too. If you pay 4 refresh for a power that does mental attacks with no extra weapon rating, no skill bonus and that also requires mental stress, ask for a refund from the GM. Violently-like.

Lesser Immortality: Balanced much like Wizard's Constitution is.

Immortality: Physical immunity limited to metabolic hazards. No need for an extra power.

Gifted With Soul: Cost is rather weird. It begins at +1 and then goes on to +0 when made whole. I'd prefer it were a +0 to start with.

Fountainhead of Blood: Make this a generic power that applies to any court or vampire type. After all, the White Court is where we see multiple flavors, not the Reds. All that needs a bit of changing is Improved Feeding.

Red Hot Knives: Stunt, as others said. It even is underpowered for a stunt.

Home is Where You Make It: Balanced.

Undying: Underpriced. A form of Physical Immunity to permanent takeout would be -3. This should be around -2.

Dream or Reality: Mostly Balanced, considering you already need Demense. Illiteracy makes no thematic sense here though.

Unthinkable Size: For twice the bonuses/penalties I use titanic size; that would include things like the larger whales and dinosaurs as they tend to be larger than a small house (and thus larger than Hulking). I'd use Unthinkable for triple the penalties/bonuses; the example creatures are larger than any buildings after all.

Telekinesis: Unlike mind-reading, true telekinesis violates natural laws. It can't be non-supernatural. However, it can be non-magic much like Incite Emotion. As such, no Lawbreaker is OK. Other than that, it's balanced or even a bit underpriced.

Stoicism: This power is balanced mechanics-wise. I still dislike it, preferring various types of mental immunity.

Impossible Jumps: Totally underpowered, especially with the Double Jump upgrade. Flying costs only -1 and does everything better.

Hyperspace Arsenal: What happens to creatures put into Hammerspace? Also, what action is required to put in and recover items?




I'm gonna comment on the other powers as time allows. I plan to get them all; this probably says something weird is going on somewhere between my ears.

Offline devonapple

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #22 on: May 15, 2011, 10:18:56 PM »
This power needs to be another refresh at least possibly three

Displacement [-1]
Description: You are not where you appear to be. A glamour or other optical effect obscures your true location, making it difficult for opponents to properly target you.
Musts: You must have a high concept that would justify this power, such as Cloaked Malk, or Nevernever Mugger.
Skills Affected: Athletics.
Effects:
Missed Me, Missed Me. You gain a +2 bonus to your Athletics for the purpose of defending against attacks. This bonus does not require your attention or concentration: should you be successfully ambushed, this bonus will remain, granting you a minimum Athletics of Fair (+2). You may also use this bonus to any Athletics check to perform a maneuver intended to confound or disorient an opponent. If you take a Full Defense action, this bonus is increased to +4.
Blinking [-1]. When you purchase this upgrade, your power is not an optical effect: you are actually changing positions rapidly during combat, by stepping back and forth between the Nevernever and the real world. In addition to the Missed Me, Missed Me effect, you may set up an Ambush (page 142) as a supplemental action every round. However, anyone who can simultaneously perceive the real world and the Nevernever is immune to this effect.

I'm not sure it needs to be any more expensive, but I admit it hasn't been playtested yet. This sort of thing is a minor nuisance in the D&D game when it appears, and I find it roughly comparable to Cloak of Shadows. But I also consider it a monster ability, and I wouldn't mind paying more to place it on a creature.
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Offline devonapple

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #23 on: May 15, 2011, 10:21:27 PM »
Here's what I intend to get rid of, and why:
Embodiment Of The Living Tempest (Seems like a whole bunch of powers stapled together.)

I'm not sure that is necessarily a sufficient reason to remove it. It could help form the basis of other elemental-themed power suites, like a package.
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

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Offline Silverblaze

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #24 on: May 15, 2011, 10:25:28 PM »
I would add this too the get rid of list

Gambler [-1]
Description: You have the ability to manipulate probability in a limited way. But it's far from risk free; in fact, the risk is the reason that it works.
Effect: At any time you may pay any number of fate points to make a bet with the GM. If the GM rejects the bet, you get your fate point(s) back. If he accepts and you win, you get back twice the number of fate points that you paid. Some GMs may allow odds other  than double or nothing, but they are in no way obliged to.

Any power that has no in character effect seems a bit stupid, if the gm wants to bet fate points  he can do so power or not.

This power needs to be another refresh at least possibly three

Displacement [-1]
Description: You are not where you appear to be. A glamor or other optical effect obscures your true location, making it difficult for opponents to properly target you.
Musts: You must have a high concept that would justify this power, such as Cloaked Malk, or Nevernever Mugger.
Skills Affected: Athletics.
Effects:
Missed Me, Missed Me. You gain a +2 bonus to your Athletics for the purpose of defending against attacks. This bonus does not require your attention or concentration: should you be successfully ambushed, this bonus will remain, granting you a minimum Athletics of Fair (+2). You may also use this bonus to any Athletics check to perform a maneuver intended to confound or disorient an opponent. If you take a Full Defense action, this bonus is increased to +4.
Blinking [-1]. When you purchase this upgrade, your power is not an optical effect: you are actually changing positions rapidly during combat, by stepping back and forth between the Nevernever and the real world. In addition to the Missed Me, Missed Me effect, you may set up an Ambush (page 142) as a supplemental action every round. However, anyone who can simultaneously perceive the real world and the Nevernever is immune to this effect.

Our group play tested Displacement and it seemed very abusable as is, but then again, our group seems to find a lot of thigns abusable others do not...so to each their own.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #25 on: May 15, 2011, 10:45:57 PM »
I agree with the vast majority of what you say, Belial. Can I assume that you agree with my list of powers to scrap entirely?

Anyway, I've got a few point-by-point responses:

About Gambler: Bah, fine. It's gone.

About Fomor Magic: What's this about hexing?

About The Lord Is My Shepard: My reading of it makes it look like three stunts stapled together. I think I'll get rid of it completely, since powers should be more interesting than that.

About Danger Sense: Well, I was planning to get rid of it anyway. But I don't understand your objection.

About Unthinkable Size: Point taken, I'll do it your way. Might add something about reach and zones...I'd expect a big enough monster to be its own zone.

About Uncontrolled Power and Immortality: They might be model-able with existing powers to an extent, but the thematics are different enough that I'd call 'em new powers. Also, Uncontrolled Power is significantly different from Human Form.

About Impossible Jumps: When I wrote this power, I gave it a cost of -? for that very reason. I think Wings might be undercosted.

About Hyperspace Arsenal: I'd say that the action required is the same as it would be if the hyperspace area was a backpack or a pocket. Creatures placed inside the area remain in stasis until removed.

Offline ways and means

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #26 on: May 15, 2011, 10:58:12 PM »
I'm not sure it needs to be any more expensive, but I admit it hasn't been playtested yet. This sort of thing is a minor nuisance in the D&D game when it appears, and I find it roughly comparable to Cloak of Shadows. But I also consider it a monster ability, and I wouldn't mind paying more to place it on a creature.

Displacement is three stunt like powers in one, a +2 to the dodge trapping is worth a refresh on its own, +4 to full defense is a very poweful stunt which gives a +6 bonus to full defense in total (if it stacks with the +2 to full defense) is worth a refresh and a +2 to defense when ambushed is also worth a refresh. Thats 3 refresh worth of stuff in a -1 power.  
« Last Edit: May 15, 2011, 11:01:38 PM by ways and means »
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #27 on: May 15, 2011, 10:59:43 PM »
About Embodiment Of The Living Tempest: A power shouldn't be made unless it can't be modeled with a collection of other powers. In this case, I think that it can be. See reply #149 of the custom power thread for what I mean.

About Displacement: I'm not sure if it's broken or anything, but it's definitely munchkin-friendly. It basically trumps all Athletics-based dodging stunts entirely, which I don't like much. And Blinking will occasionally just screw someone. Ambushes are deadly.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #28 on: May 15, 2011, 11:02:11 PM »
About Undying: I'm not really sure how to go about this. I don't think that Physical Immunity: Death is the way to do it, though. The question is, how often will this power actually save a character from death? In many games, the answer will be "never". In others, it will be "constantly". It depends on the game's lethality.

About Dream Or Reality: I'm pretty sure that the illiteracy is based on the fact (or common fiction) that you can't read in dreams.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2011, 11:04:28 PM by Sanctaphrax »

Offline crusher_bob

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Re: Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)
« Reply #29 on: May 16, 2011, 06:59:15 AM »
Gambler [-1]
Assume the bet is about something out of game like a coin flip?  Or is it supposed to be a bet about something in game, like whether you win a fight or not?

But, in any event, is a very metagame power that also doesn't seem to provide any actual advantage for your refresh spent, assuming you win the bet 50% of the time.

Force Field [-2]
Seems to be badly worded.
Is it supposed to be something like this:
You are able to take a supplemental action to generate a block that defends against anything that athletics could defend against at (discipline +2).  The block's power is 'fixed' no fudge dice are rolled.  This block lasts until you next turn or until it is broken.  The block is visible.

Possibly also add 'You can expand the block to protect a small group of people who are in the same zone as you are" like evocation blocks, as a freebie, since just generating a block at skill +2 may be slightly weak for -2 refresh.  You can generate (deceit +2) blocks with incite emotion, right?

Danger Sense [-2]
Seems weak for -2 refresh.  You could probably get a stunt that gave you +3 defense for a fate point, once per scene.  And unless you are very badly over matched, +3 defense will almost always let you dodge the attack.
Wording of the power also lets you resist the atom bomb.  Is probably safer just to demote this power to a stunt.

Telepathy [-2]
What's the range of telepathy?  One zone?
An Open Book
Change wording to specifically identify the Reading People trapping of Empathy
Dig A Bit Deeper
Is this supposed to adjudicated like a soul gaze, where you each get to look at an aspect the other guy has?  
Or is it more for answering direct questions, like "Did you murder that guy?" The direct question version can make for some quick game derailment, especially if telepathy power is non-visible.  Can I just watch some guy from across the street and dig around in his head to see if he murdered they guy?
Either needs to be treated like a soul gaze, or requires a whole lot more rules text.

Immortality [-3]
Being able to live a long time is a zero point power.  Isn't the rest just a physical immunity with limitations slapped on?

Dream or Reality [-2]
Seems to be a badly build power.  Compare to glamours which gives you two expanded trappings and increased the scope of maneuvers you can do.
This seems to expand the scope of maneuvers you can do and give you an additional trapping (attack with discipline).  And why does it make you illiterate?

Flesh Forgery [-2]
As a true shape shifter weapons and fists are basically interchangable skills for you already.  So you seem to end up paying 2 points of refresh for what amounts to weapon:3 claws.  Should probably be upgraded to Weapon:4.

Haruspicy [-2]
The seeing the future ability in Cassandra's Tears is only -1.  Needing human subjects to do it may just be a -0 upgrade for 1st lawbreaker.

Displacement [-1]
Rubs me the wrong way.  Basic version is probably slightly overpowered.  The upgraded version, especially with it's ambush setup ability is pretty horrible.  IMHO, attacking someone who is not expecting an attack vs attacking someone who is already in a fight, but just doesn't anticipate your attack specifically are two different things.  Possibly change to a bonus to attack (+1 or +2)? instead of the ambush trapping.

Breath Weapon (-2)
Projectile (-2)  This upgrade to breath weapon isn't worth 2 points. It's not even really worth 1 point, especially when you can take damage upgrades to breath weapon directly.  

Tired now, will read more of the powers later.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2011, 07:01:29 AM by crusher_bob »