Author Topic: Item Of Power Master List  (Read 62275 times)

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2012, 04:20:51 AM »
@Mr. Death: I still don't think that Master Your Anger and Perception Is Key work as Powers. They're pretty textbook Aspect compels, I think. And charging Refresh to get rid of a +0 Power/Aspect the way The Power Of Love does is just bad.
That's what I meant by having them be +0 powers, that they'd be aspects. As for The Power Of Love, I wanted it to be something that had a tangible cost so it wouldn't just be taken automatically. It's supposed to be a "big" change in the character who wields the sword. Do you have any suggestions?

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Does The Dance With Death add to all defence rolls or just Weapons defence rolls?
Well, considering one of the sword's base trappings lets you use Weapons to defend against anything, does it make a difference? That said, yeah, it'd be for Weapons defense rolls.

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I suggest making the fact that The Bringer Of Death is Marked By Power clearer. As-is, there appear to be slight differences.
Well, it has the same mechanical effect. I wanted the flavor text to reflect more that it's not so much a case of, "Well, if I attack this guy, his boss is going to be pissed," and more, "If I attack this guy, he can make me explode with his sword."

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I feel as though My Enemies Cannot Stop Me might go too far with the bonus stacking. I normally try to limit weapon rating additions that aren't from Strength to +2. But this is mainly personal preference.
I figured it was balanced by constraining the wielder to only using the bonus to kill, and thus being compelled to take that Mental attack. And that feeds into why I gave The Power Of Love a refresh cost, because I figured removing that restriction should have some mechanical cost. Any suggestions how I might do it differently?
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Offline admiralducksauce

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2012, 05:19:34 AM »
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@admiralducksauce: New version looks good. But why is the bullet that killed Billy magical?

Why not?  :)   I suppose it's more of an Unknown Armies or Lost Room take on things.  The bullet that killed a legend absorbed some of that power.  It's my take on a "magic bullet" that's not something you shoot at someone.  I like the idea of the Catch being "ambushes" (even thought it doesn't really apply to the lower-powered version as it stands now).  You could easily call it "Hickok's Folly" for much the same reason - a legend killed by a bushwhacking.  I like magic items that tie back to newer things than Mjolnir, you know?  George Washington's sword from upthread is a great example.  And I like the irony that the "It Is What It Is" feature is completely useless.  It's not a sword or even a hat, it's just this dumb chunk of lead.  Incredibly easy to overlook, but incredibly useful in the right situation.  Put it in a breast pocket and it's an IoP-equivalent for all those lucky decks of cards, pocket Bibles, and flasks that somehow manage to stop bullets in movies.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #17 on: February 16, 2012, 06:13:02 AM »
@Mr. Death

That's what I meant by having them be +0 powers, that they'd be aspects. As for The Power Of Love, I wanted it to be something that had a tangible cost so it wouldn't just be taken automatically. It's supposed to be a "big" change in the character who wields the sword. Do you have any suggestions?

A +0 Power is not the same as an aspect. A +0 Power does not get compelled, it just does what it does.

Not getting Fate Points every time you kill a dude is a good cost for The Power Of Love.

Well, considering one of the sword's base trappings lets you use Weapons to defend against anything, does it make a difference? That said, yeah, it'd be for Weapons defense rolls.

It makes a difference. Because as written, it helps your Rapport defence against Intimidation and your Discipline defence against Incite Emotion.

You may want to consider upgrading it; it compares unfavourably to True Aim.

Well, it has the same mechanical effect. I wanted the flavor text to reflect more that it's not so much a case of, "Well, if I attack this guy, his boss is going to be pissed," and more, "If I attack this guy, he can make me explode with his sword."

The mechanical effect of Marked By Power is slightly different because it a) only works on people in the supernatural community and b) is really hard to conceal and c) has a narrative drawback.

I figured it was balanced by constraining the wielder to only using the bonus to kill, and thus being compelled to take that Mental attack. And that feeds into why I gave The Power Of Love a refresh cost, because I figured removing that restriction should have some mechanical cost. Any suggestions how I might do it differently?

It's probably okay as is, I'm just being a grumbleguts.

If you want to change it, I suggest reducing the cost by 1 and the stress boost by 2.

@admiralducksauce:

Alright.

Offline grimward

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #18 on: February 24, 2012, 05:16:37 AM »
Let me know what you guys think.

Retribution and Reprisal, the Twin Blades of Just Vengeance [-1]

[-0] It Is What It Is- A pair of single edged machetes (when used together function as Weapon:3). Angelic script can be seen faintly etched into the blades if the light and angle are just so.
[-0] Unbreakable
[+2] One Time Discount- They're a pair of 2 foot machetes.
[-1] Holy- Blessed in the River Jordan and forged using a hallowed ritual, the blades are a powerful holy symbol in their own right. Their very touch is like holy water or that of a cross or other symbol of faith, backed by the belief of the user. (Can satisfy the catch of some creatures toughness/recovery powers)
[-1] Gift of the Holy Spirit- Increase the weapon rating of your machetes by two by filling in one mental stress box, this lasts for a number of exchanges equal to the value of the stress box you've filled in.
[-1] The Righteous are Kept by Him-  By interposing the Blades between the wielder and an attack, the wielder can deflect it as if the sword were an impenetrable barrier. They may use their weapons skill as defense vs all physical attacks and maneuvers that aren't indirect and mental attacks and maneuvers that require specific targeting or touch. I.e. the Blades could defend against a white court vampire's emotion-manipulating touch or a blast of fire magic but not against  poison gas or a fear aura.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2012, 08:01:45 PM »
Pretty solid, maybe a touch underpowered.

I've been wondering lately about whether Holy could be included in It Is What It Is.

Offline SkyGM

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #20 on: February 25, 2012, 01:40:22 AM »
Pretty solid, maybe a touch underpowered.

I've been wondering lately about whether Holy could be included in It Is What It Is.

I don't see why you couldn't. I mean a sword of the cross has the attribute Holy but if you took that away you can't get away from the fact that it is a Holy weapon. Even if you took away the spiritual and magical forces behind it, the sword would still be an item with a relic that would be considered Holy to any one of church faith. That alone would give it enough power to be Holy

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2012, 02:56:31 AM »
Yeah, it does make sense.

But Holy is a valuable thing and it might be best to make it cost Refresh.

Offline polkaneverdies

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #22 on: February 25, 2012, 04:01:11 AM »
It is worth the refresh because it is a supernatural effect that impacts a large swathe of the bad guy population. Simply  calling something the "Star of David's asskickery" shouldn't grant it a supernatural ability to satisfy catches anymore than my "sword of sunshine " would unless I paid the refresh.

Offline JayTee

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #23 on: February 25, 2012, 04:58:40 AM »
Here are a few Items of Power, based on real world mythology:

Kusanagi, -1
[-0] It is what it is: A Sword, pretty simple. Weapons: 3
[-0] Unbreakable.
[+2] One Time Discount: Swords are noticable.
[-2] Channelling: Air
[-1] Invisible Edge: You may use Weapons to Control Air Spells.
The sword gained its name from the warrior Yamato Takeru, who was ambushed in a field of grass that was set ablaze. When he swung the blade, he found it allowed him to control the direction the wind blowed with each swing. Using this power, he was able to send the fire back at his ambusher, and gave it the name "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi", or "The Grass Cutting Sword"

Notes: While in-universe Kusanagi's powers have been spoken for as a Sword of the Cross, I decided to make this in case someone wanted to have a non-Dresden Files setting, but still draw on myth and mythology. Same for Excalibur and it's Scabbard Below.

Excalibur -1
[-0] It is what it is: A Sword, pretty simple. Weapons: 3
[-0] Unbreakable.
[+2] One Time Discount: Swords are noticable
[-1] Marked By Power: It is more a symbol of Arthur's right to rule than a weapon.
[-1] Mantle of the King: You may use Weapons to applies Aspects relating to your Authority.

Excalibur's Scabbard -2
[-0] It is what it is: A Scabbard, swords go inside it
[-0] Unbreakable.
[+2] One Time Discount: Swords are noticeable, as are Scabbards
[-2] Inhuman Recovery: Wounds given to those who used Excalibur where said not to bleed.
[-2] Inhuman Toughness: Whoever owned the Scabbard was said to be protected against harm.

Notes: Again, while Excalibur and Kusanagi have more or less been spoken for in-universe, this is the version that's based on a more literal taking of the myths.

Seal of Solomon -1
[-0] It is what it is: A Ring, a snazzy one at that.
[-0] Unbreakable.
[+1] One Time Discount: Rings are small.
[-2] Divination: Said to be a gift to Solomon from god, it allowed him to call forth angelic spirits as advisors or to answer questions. While the spirits will try to answer the questions as best they can, they are ultimately still unwilling or unable to affect the process of Mortal Free Will, and thus may only give cryptic hints instead.

Optional: -1 Holy Touch: It's a gift from God, why do you think this is here?

Notes: There are actually several versions of the Seal of Solomon, I went with the one where it was a gift form God. I also was unsure if it should be Summoning and Binding or Divination, but since it's ultimate purpose was to answer questions and provide knowledge, I went with Divination. The Holy Touch Ability is there because, well, lets face it; if you give a player a ring that was a gift from God, then you know he's going to want to punch a Vampire in the face with it and claim it satisfies it's Catch sooner or later.


Shoes of Vidar -0
[-0] It is what it is: A set of unbeatable shoes
[-0] Unbreakable.
[+2] One Time Discount: Shoes are visible.
Thats... Thats it really. The God Vidar basically had a really awesome set of Shoes that were 'unparalleled'. Kinda drew the short end of the stick for that.

Notes: This one is here just because not every mythological item had awesome powers. Some were pretty tame. But then again, a clever player could figure out how to get an advantage out of an unbeatable set of shoes.


The Book of Thoth -2
[-0] It is what it is: A book, it's pretty old, be careful with it.
[-0] Unbreakable. Or not.
[+1] One Time Discount: It's a book, not hard to hide.
[-3] Thaumaturgy: Said to contain knowledge of a vast array of Spells and Enchantments.

Notes: Wanted something that wasn't a weapon, you would be surprised at how hard that is to find.


The Tablets of Destiny - 5
[-0] It is what it is: A Tablet made of stone, it's pretty old, be careful with it.
[-0] Unbreakable. Or not.
[+2] One Time Discount: Big stone tablet, pretty obvious.
[-2] Reality Warper
Sculpt Reality. You can always alter reality as if you were in your personal Demesne, though with slightly reduced effectiveness. This allows you to make declarations, maneuvers, and blocks related to the nature of the local reality with your Discipline skill. The duration of the changes created by this power is variable, but it's generally at least one scene.
Offensive Sculpting. You may use the world around you as a weapon. This allows you to make Weapon 0 attacks with your Discipline skill against anything within your line of sight. You may make spray attacks with this power. You may also attack entire zones with this power, although you suffer a -2 penalty to do so.
Improved Sculpting [-1]. Your Offensive Sculpting attacks are now treated as Weapon 2. Furthermore, you need take only a -1 penalty to attack a zone with Offensive Sculpting.
Powerful Sculpting [-1]. Your Offensive Sculpting attacks are now treated as Weapon 4, and any scene aspect you place with Sculpt Reality is automatically made Sticky. Furthermore, you need not take any penalty to attack a zone with Offensive Sculpting.
Counter-Conceptual Interposition [-1]. You may use your Discipline skill to defend against physical attacks.
Reality Binding [-1]. You may use this power to grapple targets within your line of sight, using the normal grappling rules to do so. Substitute your Discipline skill for your Might skill when grappling someone this way.
Create Hazard [-1]. When attacking a zone with this power, you may take an accuracy penalty (before rolling) in order to extend the duration of the attack. For each point of accuracy sacrificed this way, the attack is reapplied at the beginning of another exchange. You may take actions to extend this effect as though you were an evoker extending an evocation.

Alright, here is what I have so far. I would include more, but it's almost 11PM where I am, and my brain needs rest.

Not that I'm going to bed any time soon...  8)

EDIT: Changes made based on feedback.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2012, 01:24:46 AM by JayTee »

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #24 on: February 25, 2012, 06:44:38 AM »
@polka: Yeah, but on the other hand, would you make someone pay refresh for a sword that's just Holy and that's all?

@JayTee: I have lots of quibbles.

1. Gungnir's Never Miss effect is a universally-stacking accuracy bonus. Grr.

2. Always Kill is vague and might be really overpowered depending on how it works. Plus it doesn't actually kill all that well against your average mortal...it's still only weapon 3ish.

3. Isn't Gungnir supposed to be able to rig the results of a battle?

4. You can get an auto-kill by allowing uncapped debt invokes on attacks with Gungnir.

5. I think that an IoP sword ought to be weapon 3. Otherwise they're often inferior to normal weapons, which is just lame.

6. Kusanagi has a spare point...why not spend it on a stunt to control the air spells with Weapons?

7. I thought that Excalibur was supposed to shine blindingly and kill hundreds with a swing.

8. Toughness of some kind would fit the scabbard. And a Catch would be good.

9. What does Holy Divination do?

10. There are ways to model the Tablets Of Destiny, if you're interested in trying.

Offline JayTee

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #25 on: February 25, 2012, 07:03:25 AM »
1: Why is this bad?

2: It's basically All Are Equal Before God on steroids and crack. Equal Before God lets you ignore Toughness powers and natural armor. Always Kills Ignores everything that could possibly give you a defense bonus beyond your normal Alertness/Endurance/Athletics Skills. And you're right on the Weapons 3, I feel I should up that to 5 or something.

3: You're right, but I wasn't sure how to model that, so I just turned it in to a Spear on steroids and crack.

4: There is no debt, not that I am aware of, just a Spear on steroids and crack.

5: Fair enough, I'll change it up.

6: Also a good idea.

7: It was either Marked By Power, which could be Invoked for Effect, or a Power that basically turned a sword in to a giant flashlight. Marked By Power seemed like a better choice. And I don't remember anything about killing hundreds with a single swing, I think that's limited to the Anime version on Fate/Stay Night.

8: I remember another variant explicitly stating that it healed wounds, so I went with that. But you're right, I forgot the catch.

9: Basically just regular Divination, but with Angels providing you the intel.

10: There are ways to model omnipotence? Do tell!
« Last Edit: February 25, 2012, 07:43:46 AM by JayTee »

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #26 on: February 25, 2012, 10:59:32 PM »
2. If I have a stunt letting me dodge with a nonstandard skill, then does this make me use Athletics/Weapons/Fists instead? If so, how does that make sense?

4. My point was that you could obtain an actual "always kill" effect by letting the user take 100 sponsor debt to boost each attack.

7,8. Why not do both?

9. Then why does it cost 4?

10. You can do anything with Thaumaturgy or Declarations. Some sort of Sponsored Magic could work, as could worldwide Demesne. I also have a Reality Warper custom power that might be somewhat suitable here.

Offline JayTee

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #27 on: February 25, 2012, 11:34:56 PM »
2: No, you can use a non-standard skill to dodge (Lore for precognition, for example), but you wont gain any bonuses from a stunt that gives you a +2 to to dodge.

4: Where is this Sponsor Debt coming from? From my perspective I've just made a really powerful Spear, am I missing something?

7,8: I don't have any inherent problem with allowing both, except for the whole 'killing hundreds with a single swing' effect, I could give the sword a Stunt that lets it applies the aspect "bedazzled" to people, or something. It just seems like a waste of refresh (for the sword) or redundant (For the scabbard)

9: Because you don't have to go through the Thaumaturgy steps for regular Divination, just snap your fingers and you have an Angel who can answer your questions.

10: I'll check those over and come up with a better version then, thanks!

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #28 on: February 26, 2012, 12:09:40 AM »
2. The more I think about this the less I like it. It just doesn't make much sense to me that dodging skill from a stunt is somehow different from normal dodging skill.

4. Nowhere. Sponsor debt doesn't really need a source.

7. It wouldn't actually cost refresh to give the sword a stunt, since it hasn't used its whole discount.

8. How is it redundant?

9. You still need to cast spells normally when using Sponsored Magic.

Offline Silverblaze

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Re: Item Of Power Master List
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2012, 12:17:16 AM »
The scabbard of excalibur should not grant recovery but Physical immunity to blades.

Kusanagi and Exalibur are already swords of the cross.  (Cannon)
Otherwise do as you will with them.

The spear likely shouldn't defy size powers.

Lets see the Holy Grail written up?