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General Category => RPGs => : Snake-Eyes November 25, 2011, 01:59:02 AM
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I'm starting a Wild Talents game but I'm a little stuck on the powers creation. One of my players is basing her character off Ramona Flowers. She wants Ramona's little bag of holding but I'm unsure how that stats out. Anyone got any suggestions?
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Useful - capacity is weight
Endless to make sure it stays on.
2 HD to guarantee it always works
Booster to increase weight carried.
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Okay cool. Also just to make sure I'm doing it right. I got a player that's going to wield a scythe but he wants to ignite with fire around it. So far it's hyperstat melee weapon with the burn extra on it. That correct or am I totally off base?
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Hyperskill if it's a melee weapon, otherwise correct.
Also if your first player wants to already have stuff to pull out, you could do an attached power with Variable Effect, but that gets expensive fast.
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I feel like this is the beginnings of an Official Wild Talents questions thread...
The system is intriguing but the learning curve is a little steep. At least it has been for me in the powers department.
I got some good advice on the forums already for powers so I guess i'm lucky to have some many people who have a degree of system mastery.
In that vein here is an advanced question that will take a bit....
I am in the process of helping one of my players build a wrath of god type character. He has Angelic Wings for flight, the ability to heal wounds(he wants the engulf extra to heal all body parts simultaneously) and the trickiest of them a holy weapon... a focus that deals shock damage to people who are guilty of petty crimes and killing damage to those who have killed someone in cold blood and is not truly repentant. Basically its a Flaming Sword that kills and burns those guilty of serious crimes, and then it's a Mace that does Shock Damage to others... (preferably with a way to prevent its damage from being completely trivial against armored opponents.)
So here are my questions:
1. Is there a way to add new wound boxes to a character? Like giving each wing 5 wound boxes that are independent of the others?
and
2. What extra's and flaws would be required to make a weapon that is so specific?
I hope this isn't too much of an imposition... also sorry Snake-Eyes for borrowing the thread.
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1. Is there a way to add new wound boxes to a character? Like giving each wing 5 wound boxes that are independent of the others?
Yes. The name of that power is Custom Hit Locations, and it's on p. 143 of the big book. (Not sure about the Essential Edition.) You might also want to consider the Extra Tough miracle, which will give you some extra wound boxes to spread around.
2. What extra's and flaws would be required to make a weapon that is so specific?
Here's the way to think about doing it: make it as effective as it needs to be for its most effective state, and then Flaw it down for the conditions where it's not as useful (in the universal sense of useful, not Useful, if you see what I mean).
The fact that sometimes it's a sword and sometimes a mace is an almost irrelevant detail as far as the mechanics are concerned. Those are just special effects.
Here's what I would do:
Holy Weapon 6d (A U, 5 per die, 30 points)
Attacks Extras and Flaws: Burn +2, If/Then -1 (Burn and Killing damage apply only to unrepentant murderers)
Useful Extras and Flaws: None.
You roll 6d to attack with this weapon; it does Width in Shock & Killing, plus a burn effect, against murderers. Against other opponents, it does Width in Shock.
The Useful quality is that by its very nature it detects a target's moral state, which (IMHO) is worth requiring you to spend points on. Your GM might disagree. I threw it in as an extra quality, and I would just have it work automatically if you hit. If you're into powergaming, you could buy it cheaper as a separate 2hd miracle (8 points vs. 12 -- better still make it Attached and Automatic, for a net 4 points), or even as a 1-point dud power, depending on the campaign.
Of course, the whole thing probably ought to be bought as a Focus, which will reduce the cost per die further. Don't forget that you can't reduce the cost of any single quality below 1/die, though.
Finally, you could also consider defining the Attack quality as Brawling Hyperskill. That would let you add your Body + Brawling to the dice roll... but that wouldn't allow you to use the Burn extra (unless you bought the Burn extra on your intrinsic Body + Brawling as well).
I hope that helps, and I didn't just confuse you further!
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I think I've got about the gist of it, but how do you calculate the cost on that power.
Attacks is 1 per die Useful is 1 per die burn is +2 per die and if/then is -1
That seems like 3 points per die unless I am missing a rule I don't know about.
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Unless you start as a hyperskill (which is by definition VERY narrow) or a hyperstat (which is by definition VERY broad), any power or miracle costs 2 points per die, per power quality.
Attacks, then, would cost 2 points per die on it's own, adding in 2 points for Burn brings you to 4, -1 for If/Then(MoralityCheck) gives you 3 points per die for the attacks quality. Useful, without any modifications, is simply 2 points.
That whole power would cost your player 5 points per die, 10 per hard die, and 20 points per wiggle die. If you were to toss the whole thing onto a Focus, you'd flaw down both qualities by 1 and it would indeed cost 3 points per die.
Hope that helps! I can toss up some crazier examples if you want to see how the math would work out. 8)
Edit: One of the things to remember is that the powers given in the book don't always have all the right math done, either - thus the errata they've had to release. Some of it wasn't even caught in the errata, either! Heavy Armor is an example off the top of my head, but I don't have the book right at hand.
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So far so good i'm starting to get the hang of it.
For the healing power we are looking at
Healing Touch [Useful+1; Touch] 3hd (27 pts)
Engulf +2
Touch Only -2
You can heal physical damage as well as cure diseases and poison with a touch. You heal width in damage from every hit location of your target.
What do you think? I took the cafeteria power and added engulf... Do I need another instance of useful for both poison and disease?
Making powers is actually pretty fun now that I get it.(Now that I think I get it that is.)
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Unless you start as a hyperskill (which is by definition VERY narrow) or a hyperstat (which is by definition VERY broad), any power or miracle costs 2 points per die, per power quality.
Attacks, then, would cost 2 points per die on it's own, adding in 2 points for Burn brings you to 4, -1 for If/Then(MoralityCheck) gives you 3 points per die for the attacks quality. Useful, without any modifications, is simply 2 points.
That whole power would cost your player 5 points per die, 10 per hard die, and 20 points per wiggle die. If you were to toss the whole thing onto a Focus, you'd flaw down both qualities by 1 and it would indeed cost 3 points per die.
Hope that helps! I can toss up some crazier examples if you want to see how the math would work out. 8)
Edit: One of the things to remember is that the powers given in the book don't always have all the right math done, either - thus the errata they've had to release. Some of it wasn't even caught in the errata, either! Heavy Armor is an example off the top of my head, but I don't have the book right at hand.
Thanks for all the help. I'm in full blown learning mode so i'd be happy to read more examples.
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So far so good i'm starting to get the hang of it.
For the healing power we are looking at
Healing Touch [Useful+1; Touch] 3hd (27 pts)
Engulf +2
Touch Only -2
I don't have my book handy, so I might be missing something, but that math looks off to me. The Useful quality is a base 2 pts/die, +1 for the additional level of Useful. (The additional Useful level here may not be necessary -- I think it just offsets any penalty dice you might take.) Engulf and Touch Only cancel out (although that Touch Only seems hinky to me; I expect it's from the Cafeteria, though, so let's just move on). That leaves you at 3 pts/die. 3 dice would be 9 points; doubling that for 3hd gives 18, not 27.
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Any time you're using just hard dice and see an odd number, check your math - doublings can't be odd.
And yes, the cafeteria lists 'touch only' as a flaw on a touch only power. Yeah. I think they just wanted to make it cheap, plus this is the second edition - things might have worked differently in the original printing.
I'll throw up a couple of characters from the game I ran, and some stuff I've been working on while at work. Most of it's pretty standard but occasionally I've gotten a bit ambitious. :D
Just remember that extras don't have to do what they would 'seem' to do - examples thrown together in the book are spray being used with HyperResearch to read more than one book at a time, and burn can be used on a defensive power to do damage without an actual attack roll on a successful defense. Actually, spray alone... I love the flexibility that it grants on powers without being an 'affects everything' power like Area and Radius.
I'll see if I can scare up the sheets tomorrow.
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More questions. Ramona's roller skates, melts snow/ice (it did in the movie at least) and gives her "super speed" then there is her power to find those doors. Unsure about stating out the door power, the skates i'm figuring hyperstat coordination and now sure from there.
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Useful - capacity is weight
Endless to make sure it stays on.
2 HD to guarantee it always works
Booster to increase weight carried.
Also, Focus since it's an item and she to my knowledge can't just open a hole in the universe to store things in. Although that would be a nifty power.
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More questions. Ramona's roller skates, melts snow/ice (it did in the movie at least) and gives her "super speed" then there is her power to find those doors. Unsure about stating out the door power, the skates i'm figuring hyperstat coordination and now sure from there.
Melting the Snow/Ice is a Useful Quality, as is super speed, as is teleportation.
I'm not quite good enough to help you make the whole power but I'd say Melting snow like Ramona does is a Dud power because she doesn't actually melt anything that would have an impact on the game.
Super Speed is a Useful ability with the Speed capacity(I think) give it defends if she can use it to dodge.
The teleportation power is tricky, it is Useful, it has a long range but it is limited to other doors along the hyperspace highway. She can take others with her, but it also takes her more than one round to find the door.
If the doors are a fact of the universe than giving her the ability to find and use them is a much cheaper alternative that would be two seperate Hyperskills.
So.... yeah thats what I've got to say about that....
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Working on it. Went into my thought process with calculations and comments, I was really fucking bored at work earlier. I *think* it'll fit into one post.
God damn I love this system!
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SHAFUCKINGZAM
Couple of different ways to handle that, but here's how I would do it.
My concept of the power first, I guess. First off, since they're skates, we're dealing with a focus, so that adds some layers right there - foci are handy for flawing a power down to be more affordable, but they can be taken away or destroyed. Second, you're describing three discrete abilities:
1. Super Speed, which we can model with Unconventional Move and the Speed capacity, and I'd recommend we throw in Go First and Booster to taste so you can actually benefit from it.
2. Melting Snow and Ice, which I would say we model as a new useful power, 'Climate Control', make it permanent with two hard dice.
3. Hypercoordination, which is handled with the same focus but a separate power.
So how do we do this? Let's see!
Power: Super Skates! - Hyperstat Coordination (We'll also add in the hyperskill coordination, but more on that later.)
Qualities: None (Hyperstat) and Starting Cost: 4/die (This is by the book.)
Dice: 3d (This is total guesswork, as below. It's enough to add to coordination without making it ludicrous.)
Cost: 3 per die (See below)
Extras: None
Flaws: Focus (Super Skates) -1 (The power works only when the skates are on her feet, as with the others.)
Cost of Super Skates!: 4 base - 1 flaws = 3/die (So let's give her 3 dice for 9 points. That aspect is done, she's now terrifically coordinated when her skates are on.)
Power: Speedy Skates! - Miracle (Using Unconventional Move as a base. Means that she can also skate on walls and the like, or however your player wants to interpret it. Each useful quality allows for a type of movement at a certain speed.)
Qualities: DU (Figure she can skate fast enough to dodge attacks and move super fast.)
Dice: 2d +1wd (This part is up to you. It's a good baseline for a reliable power, but your power level and general cost determine this a lot. Based on the extras we choose below, this will give her the ability to travel 100 yards per round.)
Cost: 4 per die (Explained below)
Defends (Skate or Die!) - Capacities: Self (Not going to really be defending anyone else with this, but since she's moving so fast, we'll assume she can defend herself.)
Extras: None
Flaws: Focus (Super Skates) -1 (Power functions only when skates are worn.)
Total Cost of Defends: 2 base - 1 flaws = 1 per die (Nice and cheap.)
Useful (Super Fast!) - Capacities: Speed (We're moving pretty damn fast now. Before extras, she's doing 10 yards/round.)
Extras: Booster +1, Go First +1 (This will multiply our speed by 10, bringing our plucky hero to 100 yards per round. Go First models quick reaction speed, and bumps your width by one for initiative purposes.)
Flaws: Focus (Super Skates) -1 (Same as before)
Total Cost of Useful: 2 base + 2 extras - 1 flaws = 3 per die (Not too bad here, either.)
Cost of Speedy Skates! Power: 4 points per die with 2d + 1wd is 24 points total, which, while an investment, is still within the realm of possibility for a 250 point character. Adding in the points from Super Skates! gives us a 33 point expenditure so far.
Finally, we've got...
Power: Climate Control! - Miracle (This one is made-up whole cloth. I vaguely remember the movie version doing this, so here's my take for our super-heroine-to-be.)
Qualities: U (My thought on this - while the player is using her Speedy Skates! power, she makes the area she comes into contact with a comfy temperature - takes care of cold, warm, and other inclement conditions. Works well if she scales up the speed.)
Dice: 2hd (Pricy, but you want it to always work - this is the icing on the cake, after all, not the main event.)
Cost: per die
Useful (Climate Control!) - Capacities: Touch (Affects the area she immediately touches and anyone she can physically carry with her regular body stat. Lingers for a little while too.)
Extras: Duration +2 (So, when our intrepid skater starts moving, the climate control effect kicks up and stays active around her for even a few moments after she's stopped.)
Flaws: Focus (Super Skates) -1, Attached (Speedy Skates!) -2, Automatic -1 (Whenever the character uses the other power, this one automatically activates. It requires both the focus to be worn and the other power to be active, though because of the extra it will linger for a little while.)
Total Cost of Useful: 2 base + 2 extras - 3 flaws = 1 per die (Takes away some of the sting from
Cost of Climate Control! Power: 4 points total for 2hd is hard to beat, so all told with everything else you'll be spending 37 points on the suite of powers. Obviously I've made some assumptions about the number of dice, but the math is sound and is easily adjustable.
Also... the Focus!
Focus - Super Skates
Containing the powers Super Skates!, Speedy Skates!, and Climate Control!, these stylish yet functional skates empower [your hero's name here].
Wound Boxes:
1-4: Skates - Contains Super Skates!, 3 wound boxes.
5-8: Wheels - Contains Speedy Skates!, 3 wound boxes.
9-10: Laces - Contains Climate Control!, 2 wound boxes.
That's enough for now, I think, let me stew on Subspace Doors.
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Holy crap. One: you were bored at work. Two: your awesome. Three: thank you.
Another one for the great minds. Here's what one of my players messaged me with. I want to be a techno psychic that has a bio mech suit ala Starship Troopers the book not the film. I have a little army of robots that i have built that i can interface with in the suit to control them, without the suit i can communicate with them.
One last thing for now. Is there anything major missing from the main book that the essentials book doesn't cover?
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I've got an idea or two about Subspace doors and your mech-psychic, but that'll be a bit of typing. In the meantime, the main rulebook has a large section of fluff about the default Wild Talents Setting 'A World Gone Mad', and two dandy little chapters written by Greg Stolze about playing the system and worldbuilding. The only other thing you're missing are a couple of premade characters based on iconics from the setting, the Essentials book has everything else.
(Fake edit: Oh, and Medium Armor, which is a one-point flaw on Heavy Armor to decrease both shock and killing by width - exactly a middle ground between Light and Heavy armor.)
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the robot army can be handled with the minions power with HD and permanent.
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Okay so I think I messed up with my players during character creation. They have hd and wd on their basic stats and skills. I'm not talking about hyperstats and hyperskills the basic not using super powers pools. Also do they need a archtype? Sorry if I seem to be a newbie at this but this my first time really dealing with wild talents and the one roll system. Thank you for all the help.
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All players need an archetype. They get one source for free, and if they want to take any sort of powers or special abilities whatsoever they need permissions, and for each permission you need one source. Super's the most, er... permissive permission, but it costs 15 points accordingly. The only thing a source in and of itself gives you is Base Will, Willpower, and normal stats and skills. To bring down the cost of multiple or expensive permissions, your players might want to look at some intrinsics to flaw them down, but remember that you can only bring the cost of a source to 0, you never gain points from it.
Speaking of normal stats and skills, no, you can't normally take hard or wiggle dice in your regular stats and skills without specifically choosing a power to augment them, which gets expensive real fast. There is a particular permission whose name escapes me that *does* allow you to take hard and wiggle dice in regular stats and skills, but it does not allow any other powers nor actual hyperdice or hyperskills, so you still have a 5d limit on stats and skills.
As for those powers you were asking about, they should be posted today or tomorrow. Things have been busy at work, and I have them half typed up but I haven't gotten any farther yet.
Edit: Peak Performer is the permission I was thinking of.
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What is the point of penetration? I know it reduces the effectiveness of armor types, but something like Attacks +1 costs just as much as Attacks with one level of penetration, but adds more width to an attack, which would reduce the effect of armor and do more damage to unarmored opponents.
Is there something I'm missing here?
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I believe that Attacks increases your Width only for purposes of Damage, not for purposes of overcoming defensive rolls, even static ones like Armor.
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Attacks adds width for the sole purpose of additional damage if and only if the attack in question hits, thus I can have a power with 3d and +7 attacks and still never hit anyone ever, but by god that slow unarmored percent of 28% of the time is going to get hurt.
Also, IT LIVES ONCE MORE
Sorry this took so long! It's been a little bit crazy for me over the past week or so.
Well, I would recommend checking with you player to see what specifically he's looking for - specificity is your friend, especially with the limit of points available, but I'll see if I can kludge something together. Since this one is a bit more open-ended, I'll try and leave a few options for the flexible ones.
Since our intrepid technopath has two different sorts of powers he's looking for, he'll most likely need either two separate power sources and permissions, or a veeeery open-ended source with Super, so he might want to take a look at intrinsics to buy that down a little. I'll be assuming that we're working with Super here.
Next, we'll take a look at the actual powers themselves. Fortunately, I have both read Starship Troopers and seen the (relatively abysmal past the first) movies, so I know what you're talking about with the psychic. The one in the book had the ability (called a Talent, appropriately enough) to detect minds or living things at a distance, and the ones in the movies can read minds and communicate via touch, so why not combine the two? Call it telepathy/technopathy, even split, with the ability to detect and communicate with either minds or artificial networks.
On to the tech powers, then. Our intrepid technopath is in powered armor. As I recall from the book, the suits worked on a principle of force feedback amplification - in layman's terms, it magnifies your efforts. We'll use that as simply hyperdice in Body, attached to a suit focus providing some Hard Armor layered with Light Armor. In addition, we've got two other things to look at: Creation of robot minions, and general command and control. Based on the powersets you've outlined, the character will be able to provide control at a distance while in the suit, and only by touch using his technopathy when outside of it.
Let's get started!
Power: Telepathy / Technopathy - Miracle (Perceive / Telepathy with some tweaks.)
Dice: 2hd (Reliable, will always work, and a couple of key flaws means it's not overpowering in effectiveness or cost.)
Qualities: ADUUU (So, we can attack minds and computer systems, defend against mental attacks, detect active organic minds and active artificial systems, read minds and systems, and communicate without language with systems and sentients. Big power, by the way.)
Attacks (Also, I Can Kill You With My Brain!) - Capacities: Range (But see below)
Extras: Non-Physical +2
Flaws: Touch Only -2
Total Cost of Attacks: 2 points/die
Comments: Our intrepid hero, using the dice and extras here, can do 2 points of shock and killing damage per turn with a touch and ignoring armor and other physical defenses. Initially, the attacks, mindreading, and communication are touch only, though they have a range capacity. If your player is interested, he can buy off this restriction at a cost of 2 points per die or 4 points per hard die, per quality, generally expanding the flexibility of the power.
Defends (Strong Mind) - Capacities: Self
Flaws: If/Then(Mental Attacks only) -1
Total Cost of Defends: 1 point/die
Comments: As his telepathy and technopathy are currently touch-based, our hero is only fortified with them against mental attacks, but then, that's what his armor is for.
Useful (Mind Detector) - Capacities: Range
Extras: Radius +2, Booster +1
Flaws: If/Then(Conscious Minds or Active Artificial Networks Only) -1, Delayed Effect -2
Total Cost of Useful: 2 points/die
Comments: Based on the Perceive miracle, the character can detect conscious minds and active systems in a 200 yard radius, but it takes some time.
Useful (In Your Head, Readin' Your Thoughts) - Capacities: Range
Flaws: Touch Only -2
Total Cost of Useful: 1 point/die
Comments: Simple enough, the character can read thoughts at a touch. Be aware that telepathy is one of those possible game-breakers, so at the very least an unwilling target should get a stability roll to resist, just don't make it a trauma check!
Useful (Speak Without Words) - Capacities: Range
Extras: Controlled Effect (AIs or Sentient Living Creatures) +1
Flaws: Touch Only -2
Total Cost of Useful: 1 point/die
Comments: Our plucky hero can telepathically converse with any sentient mind or semi-aware network interface as long as he can retain physical contact. He can use this to command his robots when out of the suit.
Total Cost of Telepathy/Technopathy: 7 points/die, so 2hd costs 28 points.
Powered Armor with Synthetic Creation and Control System:
For the hyperbody stat and the 'armor' portion of the armor, I would recommend flat-out using the premade powers Powered Exoskeleton and Reinforced Armor Panelling from page 167. The first is a normal Hyperstat Body that only works when the armor is on for a total 9 points, the second is a 4HD light armor / hard armor combination that costs 40 points and limits your telepath to a physical initiative for width of 2, but it also gets rid of 4 width of any attack with 4 light armor for anything that's left. If this is too expensive, drop a hard die or two, each one costs 10 points. The flaw on the armor being bulky actually complements this character's playstyle, as his psychic abilities are dependable but not fast, and you've got a gang of robots, so use 'em!
Now, onto your robots, shall we?
Again, I must say that this was left very open, you can give these robots all sorts of abilities by using the Attached Power flaw, but as it was left vague, a simple power is what you get.
Power: [CharacterName]'s Universal Robots! - Miracle (Minions! First person to get the reference gets a point of geek cred.)
Qualities: U
Dice: 8hd
Comments: We want hard dice because we want reliable minions. You're getting 8 of them for having 8 dice, period, but if you use hard dice you make sure that they're considered to be 'expert' minions. With this power, I chose to go with quality over quantity, your player may choose differently. Just be aware that the ability to permanently create infinite minions at will can get broken, fast - thus my little touches.
Useful (Small Robot Army!) - Capacities: Range
Extras: Permanent +4
Flaws: If/Then(Only 8 (current number of dice) robots maximum can exist at a time); Delayed Effect -2, Focus(Powered Armor)-1
Comments: Alright, so your dude has 8 robots at any given time, and can reinforce losses back up to 8 using this power. Robots take some time to teleport in / be manufactured, so it's not instantaneous resummoning. A minion pool of 8 dice is still pretty useful for most tasks that don't require stealth, and as the power doesn't have the 'Always On' flaw, you can just unsummon/disassemble them. As you asked, the power only works in the armor.
Total Cost of Useful: 2 points / die, bringing the cost up to 32 dice for 8hd. But wait! There's a (little bit) more!
Power: Command and Control System - Miracle
Qualities: U
Dice: 2hd
Comments: Because otherwise your robots won't listen to you.
Useful (Distributed Communications Array) - Capacities: Range
Extras: Booster (Range) +1
Flaws: Attached ([Character Name]'s Universal Robots!) -2, If/Then (Verbal Commands only recognized while in Power Armor) -1
Total Cost of Useful: 1 point/die, for 4 points for 2hd
Comments: Your robots will always obey your character's verbal and tactile technopathic commands, and will instantly relay these commands to other robots within range that do not themselves receive the command.
This one totals up quite a bit more expensive than the other. Total cost assumes that you either have all powers off of one Super permission. There are cheaper ways to do it, but they add complexity. Everything all together including required Super permission would run you... 128 points, if my tired mind is working correctly. If you want to trim, the place that I personally would be inclined to look would start with the armor. Your player also might want to try to attach other powers to the Minions power, maybe giving them ray guns with the Harm miracle or adding to their toughness with Light Armor, or maybe even your player doesn't want a small army of robots but instead would like an army of small robots, in which case you could attach Size Shift (smaller).
Hope you like it! Messing around with everything makes me want to make a dude whose sole power is summoning a pack of velociraptors, only instead of movie-style giant raptors they're feathered little adorable turkey-sized carnivores. :D
Also, should I cool it with the double posting or the giant posts? I don't want to be a dick. :(
Edit: Might I just say that this, of course, proves that literally anything is preferable to dealing with taxes all day long.
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Sage thank you so much for all your help.
Anyone think I would be a evil GM to throw Slender Man at my players? I'm still trying to pin down his powers as much as I can. So far I got stretching his body and arms, hypnosis when arms are at full length making people walk to him, making people disappear (teleport?), tendrils/limbs coming for his back and tendrils from his hands/fingers. I'm sure his point cost would be crazy high. I really want to do this, not so much as to kill my players but to drive their characters nuts or at least give them something they can't kill that will taunt them endlessly. Another idea for a "villain" I have is a speedster who's super speed can't be shut off thus his molecules are in such a state of flux that he can pass though anything much like when the Flash vibrates his body to move though objects. Also due to the flux his physical features can't full be seen (be all blurry and jumbled).
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Anyone think I would be a evil GM to throw Slender Man at my players? I'm still trying to pin down his powers as much as I can.
If you're running a horror game, then no. The way you make Slender Man work is to not give him any stats. I may or may not have done this in MaOCT.
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It's not a full horror game. There may be horror elements if the players take the plot hooks but I got a good mix of a bit of everything. I'm working on stating him out. I removed the charm and command stats using the custom stat intrinsic. The other stats are at 5d. I gave him 5d in Athletics, block brawl, endurance, dodge, stealth, perception, stability and intimidation. Other parts so far done are, power source unknown, permission super and the inhuman intrinsic. The only reason I'm giving him stats is so if my players encounter him they have a chance at dodging attacks and defending them self's.
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I got a question about "force fields". I got two players with them in one form or another. so lets say player Bob activates the shield rolls 4x5 and then npc attacks Bob. How does npc break though the shielding? does it have to beat the width of the shield?
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depends on the force field - what are the stats for the power?
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I don't have their sheet in front of me so I don't remember. I believe they don't have any LAR or HAR extra added onto it.
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Who wants to help me make a portal gun?
Useful
Range
Permanent
Focus
Accessible
Obvious
Useful for lifting objects also.
I want to include a Coordination check to avoid falling into the portal or some other type of resist roll but I'm not sure if there is a flaw for that or not...
Thoughts?
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Use the if/then flaw for your resist check. That way you can setup your own terms for the avoidance check.
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Got this email from one of my players today, how should we stat this?
I have one idea for a superhero… his power is adaptation. He can learn physical motions (wrestling moves, fighting styles, etc) by watching them be performed and he can learn though patterns (which may eventually include some powers) by listening, learning, etc (maybe by brain delving ;)
Probably would start out just being really smart, catching on to things quickly and being really athletic (out of nowhere… like Peter Parker suddenly doing backflips and being in great shape)
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Pretty simply. One power called "Learned Tricks" with Attacks, Defends, and Useful and Variable as an Extra on all of them with a collective Limitation that he has seen the trick done before.
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Pretty simply. One power called "Learned Tricks" with Attacks, Defends, and Useful and Variable as an Extra on all of them with a collective Limitation that he has seen the trick done before.
Sweet! That was my plan as well I must be learning the system after all!
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So what's the deal with miracles with the self capacity and the flaw self only? Seems like it's redundant...
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So what's the deal with miracles with the self capacity and the flaw self only? Seems like it's redundant...
self only flaw can only be applied on useful powers
useful powers can only select the following power capacities: Either Mass, Range or Speed, your choice.
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Defends is automatically Self so you can't take "Self Only".
As for Attacks... why would you do that?
Could be a hell of a one off though.
Brain Bomb
2 HD
Attacks
-Self Only
-Area x2
-Engulf
-One Use
"Stop villain, or we're both going to regret this!"
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Defends is automatically Self so you can't take "Self Only".
As for Attacks... why would you do that?
Could be a hell of a one off though.
Brain Bomb
2 HD
Attacks
-Self Only
-Area x2
-Engulf
-One Use
"Stop villain, or we're both going to regret this!"
HA! (That looks like it's only 1 point per die now so...lets get 5hd to make sure he goes out with a bang.)
So The Dead Ringer Power has Variable effect, and then a flaw to If/Then Variable Effect is only for picking different appearances.
Is this necessary? It seems like the ability to change your appearance is strictly a Useful ability. I suppose an argument could be made that you need it to have more than one alternate appearance but from reading Variable Effect it seems like the intended use is to be able to mimic other powers or effects by changing the dice to something else...
I guess i'm still a little green....
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Useful is supposed to be a single specific ability.
I assumed Dead Ringer was designed to emulate ALL aspects of the subject, appearance, sound, mannerisms, all the little things.
Useful is a broad field and it largely falls to the GM's judgement. If you think it should be a general Useful effect in your games, just do it. It probably isn't going to alter game balance significantly.
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So, I carried out my threat and made a thing!
Richard Chen - "Dinoguy"
Archetype: Leader of the Pack
250 point character
Source: Paranormal (5) (Free)
Permissions: Power Theme (Pack of Velociraptors) (5)
Intrinsics: N/A
5 points spent on Archetype
Will:
Base Will: 5
Willpower: 5
Loyalties:
-Velociraptor Pack 1
-Arcadia University 1
Passion: Knowledge 3
Stats:
Body 3
-Athletics 3 (6d)
-Brawl 2 (5d)
-Endurance 2 (5d)
Coordination 2
-Drive 1 (3d)
-Dodge 3 (5d)
-Stealth 3 (5d)
Sense 4
-Perception 2 (6d)
-Scrutiny 4 (8d)
Mind 5
-Biology 4 (9d)
-History 2 (7d)
-Paleontology 4 (9d)
-Research 4 (9d)
-First Aid 2 (5d)
-Language: Chinese 1 (6d)
Charm 2
Command 3
-Stability 3 (6d)
-Pack Alpha 4 (Hyperskill) (7d)
Other
-Wealth 1 (+1d)
95 points spent on Stats, 86 points spent on Skills
Powers:
Leader of the Pack 6hd (Miracle - Minions)
Qualities: U
1 points/die, 12 points total
Useful (Velociraptors)
Capacities: Range - 32 yards
Extras: Permanent +4; Subtle +1
Flaws: Delayed Effect -2; If/Then (Current# of dice of raptors only) -1; If/Then (Smart puppy-level intelligence) -1; Reduced Capacity (Range) -1; Slow -2
SUDDENLY, VELOCIRAPTORS - EVERYWHERE VELOCIRAPTORS
Big Freakin' Claws 6d (Miracle - Harm)
Qualities: AA
2 points/die, 12 points total
Attacks (Big Freakin' Claws)
Capacities: Mass - 160 lbs.
Extras: Attacks +2; Penetration +1; Go First +1
Flaws: Attached (Leader of the Pack) -2; Horrifying -1; If/Then (Limited to current pack size) -1; Reduced Capacity (Mass) -1
Even on an animal the size of an excited turkey, that killing claw is a hell of a thing.
Attacks (Tiny Dino Pileup)
Capacities: Mass - 160 lbs.
Extras: Attacks +2; Spray +1; Go First +1
Flaws: Attached (Leader of the Pack) -2; Limited Damage (Shock) -1; Limited to Pack Size -1; Reduced Capacity (Mass) -1;
What dinosaurs lack in innate ability to inflict nonlethal damage, they more than make up for in enthusiasm to give hugs.
Little Bitty Carnivores 4hd (Miracle - Size Shift)
Qualities: DU
2 point/die, 16 points total
Defends (Scaly Predators)
Capacities: Self
Extras: Permanent +4
Flaws: Attached (Like Birds With Teeth) -2; Always On -1; Armored Defense -2
The raptors are small and hard to hurt, with a thick scaly hide.
Useful (Like Birds With Teeth)
Capacities: Self (Mass)
Extras: Permanent +4
Flaws: Self Only -3; Attached (Leader of the Pack) -2
Some of the most dangerous predators to ever walk the earth - it's just they're 3 feet tall and only weigh about 20 pounds each.
Killer Instincts 8d (Hyperskills - Skilled Raptors)
Qualities: UUU
3 points/die, 24 points total
Useful (Agile Critters)
Capacities: None (Athletics Hyperskill)
Flaws: Attached (Leader of the Pack) -2
Useful (Stealth Hunter)
Capacities: None (Stealth Hyperskill)
Flaws: Attached (Leader of the Pack) -2
Useful (Keen Senses)
Capacities: None (Perception Hyperskill)
Flaws: Attached (Leader of the Pack) -2
What do you guys think? Feel free to steal this dude for your game, if you'd like.
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I'm not gonna lie, I hardly understand any of this.
So far I have gotten around to making some really basic stuff so this attached and hyperskills and minion stuff is all making me confused.
I get the concept though, and it rocks.
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Mechanics of Velociraptors - Or, A Game of Hide and Seek With Doyouthinkhesaurus Rex
So Mr. Chen here is an experiment into one of my favorite kind of characters - the player character who actually isn't the business end of things. At heart he is a general support character, sort of a dashing, less-good-in-a-fight Indiana Jones with a bit more biology and a bit less gunplay and whips. The main meat of the character is the ability to summon up velociraptors from thin air.
Richard Chen only actually has the use of two abilities - Leader of the Pack, which is a miracle summoning or replacing raptors, and a hyperskill called Pack Alpha. Minions, as listed in the book, gives you your number of dice in a minion pool to do stuff with. Since we're using hard dice, we get 'expert minions', but even that isn't quite what I was going for with this, so we're modifying the hell out of it with the remaining powers. Essentially, when this power is activated, the delayed effect goes off and takes a couple of rounds, and then suddenly six velociraptors appear seemingly out of nowhere. The subtle extra means they simply appear and can't be detected until already there, reduced range means they have to appear relatively close to Chen. Minions as written are capable of acting on their own recognizance, however we've flawed their intellect to puppy-level and taken a Command hyperskill in Pack Alpha to be able to control our chirping, feathered death machines. Finally, the weird if/then flaw about number of dice. This power gives Chen six velociraptors, and no more. They are always the same velociraptors - if one is killed, the next time the power is activated they will appear alive once again. If the power is used again while the raptors are still present, any killed or incapacitated raptors reappear, up to the normal limit. Slow means that if he is taking regular losses he can't just have a steady stream of reinforcements, and the delayed effect again means that dismissing the raptors takes time.
Here's where the 'attached' flaw comes in. Anything attached to Leader of the Pack means that it can only be used by or affects the velociraptors, not Chen himself.
We want our raptors to fight like raptors, not like goons, so we gave them Big Freakin' Claws, which is pretty gruesome to watch, and since I like the idea of adorable chirping turkey-sized dinosaurs disabling someone by trying to give hugs, we also gave them Tiny Dino Pileup. Both have an if/then flaw limiting their dice pools to the current number of raptors only - if we only have two left standing, this power only rolls two dice.
Itty Bitty Little Carnivores defends our buddies with LAR 4 and a small size, allowing them do get into places larger creatures couldn't. Minions normally drop one die per 1 killing damage or 3 shock, so this extends the staying power of our fine feathered friends.
Finally, expert minions normally get special rules for certain skills based on their numbers. I didn't want to mess around with that, so I flat-out gave them three hyperskills to work with - the raptors roll their own pool of 8 dice for Athletics, Stealth, and Perception, and these are not simply based on remaining raptors, but work with any number.
Also, so we're clear, they look like this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Velociraptor_dinoguy2.jpg) with these colors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ara_ararauna_qtl1.jpg) for their feathers. The stealth hyperskill would represent either a duller undercoat of feathers or some limited chameleon-like ability.
I love this system!
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I see...
I only had to read that twice to understand it! Woo hoo.... lol
So if you had wanted to make that Harm miracle as a hyperstat instead how do you add extras and all that too it...
It took me a while to come up with an example of what I am trying to ask but essentially
Arm Mace (2/die) 7d (14)
Power Qualities and [Capacities]: Attack[Mass]
Attacks Extra's and Flaws: Reduced Capacities -1, Limited Damage(Shock) -1, Penetration +2
Description: Your forearm becomes a blunt instrument capable of dealing shock damage to an enemy.
What I want to know is if you wanted to use this as a melee weapon hyper skill (instead of a flat dice miracle) how do you stat that?
Happy to say your power examples have given me a more insight into how to build a power with less than obvious extra's and flaws.
Thanks for the example, I'd love read any other characters you have lying around.
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I see...
I only had to read that twice to understand it! Woo hoo.... lol
So if you had wanted to make that Harm miracle as a hyperstat instead how do you add extras and all that too it...
It took me a while to come up with an example of what I am trying to ask but essentially
Arm Mace (2/die) 7d (14)
Power Qualities and [Capacities]: Attack[Mass]
Attacks Extra's and Flaws: Reduced Capacities -1, Limited Damage(Shock) -1, Penetration +2
Description: Your forearm becomes a blunt instrument capable of dealing shock damage to an enemy.
What I want to know is if you wanted to use this as a melee weapon hyper skill (instead of a flat dice miracle) how do you stat that?
Happy to say your power examples have given me a more insight into how to build a power with less than obvious extra's and flaws.
A miracle isn't a hyperstat - a hyperstat is a very broad approximation of a character's abilities. Hyperstats are less expensive than normal stats because as with any superpower, they can be shut off. Miracles can be broad, but they aren't stats themselves - they let you go over and above your stats. I used the harm miracle here because the minions do not have stats as-is, and I sort of gave them fake hyperskills to break the normal limitations of minions. As for your other questions...
A hyperskill is a superpowered skill. It uses the same general rules as skills - narrow focus, normally does not have a power capacity beyond what the stat already offers, normally has only a single power capacity. Hyperskills particularly have a cheap cost, because they can be shut off much easier than your normal skills, and they by definition require a narrow focus. In this case, we can make a very simple tweak of your existing power - the Mass capacity is already handled by whatever the character has for a body stat, so that leaves things more or less how you had them.
Arm Mace - Body Hyperskill
7d + Body Stat die pool
Power Qualities and [Capacities]: None (Attack Hyperskill, Capacity limited by relevant stat)
Extras: Penetration +2
Flaws: Limited Damage(Shock) -1
Cost: 1 hyperskill + 2 extras - 1 flaws = 2 points / die
Description: Your forearm becomes a blunt instrument capable of dealing shock damage to an enemy.
Now if you wanted this to be a part of the character's body, add Native Power as an extra, bringing you to 3 points per die.
Thanks for the example, I'd love read any other characters you have lying around.
I actually have my ripoff of Infamous electricity superhero ready to post, I can perhaps throw him up later.
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As I would like to run Heroes of New Arcadia at some point in the future, this character is written with that setting in mind. Feel free to steal him for your game, he's a fun antihero or villain too.
The Oncoming Storm
Alton Sirrus was a normal man with a chip on his shoulder until the day everything changed. A former architecture student at a local college, Alton dropped out to take care of his younger sister and pay for her education after the untimely death of their parents. Attempts to augment his income through gambling led to massive debts owed to the wrong people, and to try to continue to keep his sister afloat and pay his debts he worked as a low-level enforcer and second-story man for the Syndicate. After a long period of stress and continual upsets following his series of poor financial decisions, he developed a persecution complex and began to develop an unhealthy obsession with developing 'control' of his situation. When the Syndicate sent him and a group of other enforcers to harass one of their pet superscientists, working on a bioelectric augmentation field, Alton saw his chance and took it. The half-finished device exploded, taking most of the lab, the scientist, and the other enforcers with it, leaving Alton badly burned and possessing strange electrical powers. He now stands in a delicate situation - his powers allow him to do great good, but also in the dangerous position of being able to act on his 'control' fantasies.
Alton is actively being hunted by the Syndicate for his double cross and by the city police for his part in the lab explosion. He's taken his beloved sister into what safety he can obtain, but has not let her know the full scope of the problem yet.
Alton Sirrus
Archetype: Oncoming Storm
250 point character
Source: Genetic (5) (Free)
Permissions: Power Theme (Lightning) (5)
Intrinsics: No Willpower, No Way -5; Requires Daily Charge -1; Allergy (Common, Incapacitating) Sizable Amounts of Water -4; Mutable 15 (5)
10 points spent on Archetype
Will:
Base Will: 8 (3 bought)
Willpower: 8
Loyalty: Lucy Sirrus 4
Passion: Control 4
Total cost of Base Will: 9
Stats:
Body 3
-Athletics 3 (6d)
-Brawl 3 (6d)
Coordination 3
-Stealth 4 (7d)
Sense 3
-Perception 1 (4d)
-Scrutiny 1 (4d)
Mind 4
-Architecture 2 (6d)
-Security Systems 1 (5d)
-Research 4 (8d)
-Gambling 0 (Hasn't stopped him from trying) (4d)
Charm 2
Command 3
-Stability 2 (5d)
-Intimidate 2 (5d)
90 points spent on Stats, 46 points spent on Skills
Powers:
Lightning Storm 1d+1wd (Miracle - Create Electricity)
Qualities: ADU
14 points/die, 70 points total
Attacks (Lightning Blast)
Capacities: Range - 20 yards
Extras: Attacks +1; Spray +2; Electrocuting +1
Flaws: Obvious -1
UNLIMITED POWER!!!
Defends (Lightning Field)
Capacities: Self, Range - 20 yards
Extras: Extra Power Capacity (Range) +2; Spray +2; Interference +3
Flaws: Obvious -1
A field of charged energy can protect Alton and those he deems useful.
Useful (Charge Bolt)
Capacities: Range - 20 yards
Extras: N/A
Flaws: Obvious -1
Alton can charge or overcharge an object, or he can siphon power from the grid to kickstart his powers.
Immunity: Electricity 2hd (Miracle - Immunity)
Qualities: U
1 point/die, 4 points total
Useful (Immunity)
Capacities: Self (Range)
Extras: Permanent +4
Flaws: Self Only -3; Always On -1; Obvious -1
Alton is immune to electrical shocks and his own lightning.
Shock Therapy 3d (Miracle - Heal)
Qualities: U+2
1 point/die, 3 points total
Useful (Healing Touch)
Capacities: Touch (Range)
Extras: Useful +2
Flaws: Touch Only -2; Obvious -1
Alton can stimulate enhanced healing through mild and specifically directed electrical jolts.
Field Transfer 2d (Miracle - Teleport)
Qualities: U+2
1 point/die, 2 points total
Useful(Teleportation)
Capacities: Range - 2000 yards
Extras: Booster (Range) +2; No Physics +1; Useful +2
Flaws: Delayed Effect -1; Exhausted -3; Obvious -1
Alton can unreliably teleport a decent distance, but it takes 2 rounds after activation to occur.
Storm Armor 2hd (Miracle - Medium Armor)
Qualities: D
4 points/die, 16 points total
Defends (Medium Armor)
Capacities: Self
Extras: Permanent +4; Interference +3
Flaws: Always On -1; Armored Defense -2; Medium Armor -1; Obvious -1
Alton's body is now supernaturally tough, and reacts to violence with fortification and a crackling burst of electricity.
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Arm Mace (2/die) 7d (14)
Power Qualities and [Capacities]: Attack[Mass]
Attacks Extra's and Flaws: Reduced Capacities -1, Limited Damage(Shock) -1, Penetration +2
Description: Your forearm becomes a blunt instrument capable of dealing shock damage to an enemy.
Arm Mace - Body Hyperskill
7d + Body Stat die pool
Power Qualities and [Capacities]: None (Attack Hyperskill, Capacity limited by relevant stat)
Extras: Penetration +2
Flaws: Limited Damage(Shock) -1
Cost: 1 hyperskill + 2 extras - 1 flaws = 2 points / die
Description: Your forearm becomes a blunt instrument capable of dealing shock damage to an enemy.
So to know what the capacity for knock back is, we would look at his body stat first which I would want to be around 5 dice, I would actually drop his arm mace power to about 3-4 dice so i'd be rolling about 9 dice.
So instead of starting cost of 2 for the attack quality we start with 1 and add and subtract from there per normal.
We would follow the normal knockback rules as given in the book. I will have to look into those and fine tune it further but this is a perfect start.
So as a test to see if I learned properly.
Skewer - Body Hyperskill
4d + Body Stat die pool
Power Qualities and [Capacities]: None (Attack Hyperskill, Capacity limited by relevant stat)
Extras: Penetration +3
Cost: 1 hyperskill + 3 extras = 4 points / die
Description: Your forearm transforms into a sharp tipped instrument capable of dealing width in shock and killing to an enemy.
Arm Mace - Body Hyperskill
4d + Body Stat die pool
Power Qualities and [Capacities]: None (Attack Hyperskill, Capacity limited by relevant stat)
Extras: Penetration +2
Flaws: Limited Damage(Shock) -1
Cost: 1 hyperskill + 2 extras - 1 flaws = 2 points / die
Description: Your forearm becomes a blunt instrument capable of dealing width in shock damage to an enemy.
Are these accurate depictions of what a hyper skill would be like? I forgot to note that these powers come from a shape shifting nature to be honest my main inspiration for this character is Alex Mercer from Prototype.
I'm just not sure if I should be going with a larger scale Shapeshift power with Variable Effect and then just use that to create blade arms, wings to fly, copying peoples appearances and such, so for now I'm just buying them individually to learn how to build powers.
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Some Sample Powers I've been working on these are for a Hero named "Slick"
Bind (2/Die) 4hd (16 pts.)
Qualities: Useful
Useful Extras and Flaws: Power Capacity (Mass) +2, Slow -2
Capacities: Mass, range.
Effect: As Bind in the book only usable every other round. Takes the form of glue like mucus.
Solvent (1/Die) 2hd (4 pts)
Qualities: Useful(Dud)
Effect: Slick has the ability to dissolve any chemical binding agent with a touch.
Slip N' Slide (3/Die) 3hd (18 Pts)
Qualities: Useful, Attacks+2
Useful Capacities: Speed
Attack Capacities: Mass
Useful Extras and Flaws: Slow -2
Attack's Extras and Flaws: Limited Damage (Shock) -1, Slow -2, Daze +1, Scattered Damage -1
Effects: Slick can coat himself in a greasy substance that allows him to slide along the ground at high speed. He can slide into an enemy to deal Width+2 in Shock Damage. Also any target damaged by this attack has their dice pools reduced by a number equal to the width of Slip N' Slides Roll.
Grease (3/Die)
Qualities: Useful,Useful
Useful 1 Extra's and Flaws: Power Capacity (Mass) +2, Slow -2, If/Then -1
Useful 2 Extra's and Flaws: Interference +3, Slow -2 If/Then -1,
Useful 1 Capacities: Range, Mass
Useful 2 Capacities: Range
Effect:
(Useful 1) Your power can be used to Disarm an enemy at range. Opponent makes a Dodge + Coordination check to avoid being Disarmed.
(Useful 2) Your Power can be used to impede your enemy's actions, roll your Grease Dice pool and reduce your opponents dice pool by the width of your roll.
I'm not sure if the Power Capacity Mass is necessary on the first application of Useful for grease but I left it in just in case.
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The attack hyperskills are correct. There's a good example in the book about making 'unbreakable claws' using modifications to the normal brawling hyperskill. If one extrapolates from there and uses the fact that it's a hyperskill and not a normal skill being modified, the powers you created should be correct.
Your math for Slip N' Slide might need some review. When I added up the flaws and extras, I came to 2 points / die, with both power qualities ending up net one point each.
Fun concept! Icky for the fellow on the receiving end, I would have to guess. ;D
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The attack hyperskills are correct. There's a good example in the book about making 'unbreakable claws' using modifications to the normal brawling hyperskill. If one extrapolates from there and uses the fact that it's a hyperskill and not a normal skill being modified, the powers you created should be correct.
Your math for Slip N' Slide might need some review. When I added up the flaws and extras, I came to 2 points / die, with both power qualities ending up net one point each.
Fun concept! Icky for the fellow on the receiving end, I would have to guess. ;D
Thanks for pointing that out!
I'm terrible about checking my work.
I am thinking of giving some of his power the Obvious flaw to show that he leaves behid a film and can be tracked by his powers use.
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Theoretically I was a math major, once upon a time, as well as being a former newspaper editor. Finding mathematical errors on this level is sort of my thing. To make things easier, I threw together my own spreadsheet in Excel that I can use at work and look like I'm busy in the rare moments I'm not on the phone - as long as I keep track of the parts that I haven't set to calculating themselves, it makes power creation and editing much simpler and finding errors much easier.
I seem to be finding the Obvious flaw ending up on a lot of my characters. I need to start challenging myself a bit more than having characters with a few points in Stealth to hide themselves until they 'go loud' and use powers that wake up the whole city. ;D
Definitely fits with the character concept addressed with those powers, though.
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I seem to be finding the Obvious flaw ending up on a lot of my characters. I need to start challenging myself a bit more than having characters with a few points in Stealth to hide themselves until they 'go loud' and use powers that wake up the whole city. ;D
Definitely fits with the character concept addressed with those powers, though.
In addtion to obvious, if/then is my other favorite flaw because you can make any kind of conditional for it (like poses or yells, thus making Super Sentai or Kamen Rider). I actually abused the hell out of that in the character I made for a possible campaign based on the Magical Girl anime genre. I don't know what the GM's going to do with that (he made a new archetype and everything), but it should be amazing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14gC1L-UNLrbAj4dt5gAzEvlDnaGcSY9axvM33qc5iy0/edit
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The more I look at Full Power Only, the more I'm convinced that it really, really shouldn't be a flaw. Like some of the extras, it's conditional, but always doing 15 SK to every hit location with two penetration on a set that might only be two width is a little silly when that damage is mostly coming from a flaw. ???
Cool character, although you might want to remove either Slow or Exhausted from Plasma Beam. As-is, one means you can use it only once per scene and one means that you can only use it once every other round. If someone brought that character forward for review, I would probably rule that either it can only be used every other scene, or you wouldn't get points for the Slow flaw. But that's just my take on it, obviously.
Edit: Proofreading.
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I'm interpreting full power only as no control, so the plasma beam fires its full range every time (destroying everything in its way). I fully invited the GM to bring the shitload of collateral damage in should i use that power. The jet pack works in a Greatest American Hero fashion. No hovering or anything. Just full speed until the wheels fall off.
Also the way I had intetpreted slow was that it needed a round to charge up and fired the round following (giving the target the largest window to get away or stop the shot from going off). Basically it works like any finishing move from Sentai or Kamen Rider, requiring a period of glowing and stuff before unleashing the fury.
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I fully invited the GM to bring the shitload of collateral damage in should when i use that power.
Fixed that for you, because let's be honest here, fucking plasma beam of death.
Alright, that makes a bit more sense, although with that then you'd want to switch to Delayed Effect, which does exactly what you want it to. I realize that the book explicitly uses both Slow and Exhausted on a power so Mr. Stolze could prove a point, but as-is the extras blatantly don't work together without some additional interpretation.
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Oh right, delayed effect is another drawback I like specifically because one player used it to make a Fist of the North Star ability wherein they could hit someone and then kill them 5 seconds later
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Oh right, delayed effect is another drawback I like specifically because one player used it to make a Fist of the North Star ability wherein they could hit someone and then kill them 5 seconds later
Note it also has Deadly 2, Penetration 2, and Full power only. Also note that this is the Magical Girl game. Our girls are going to get so traumatized when they have to fight over humans.
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I'm still kind of new at this but don't miracles do shock and killing by default? So deadly is only necessary for hyperskills or stats... I think
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There are a few contradictory statements made on the subject in the book, but yes, most of the available information states that unless you're attacking directly with a stat or hyperskill, any attack made with a power does width in Shock and Killing.
So, you might save yourself a flaw or two and take off the Deadly. That is, unless the Archetype you're using affects it somehow, or your GM is asking for it.
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Alright. Thanks for the help!
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I might as well post my girl since I still don't know if I got my maths right, with hyper skills and all that
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEaCOxp1tQa1G0rX8Daqx_S-X7Bo8orH-MWpy-Q-c9w/edit?hl=en_US (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEaCOxp1tQa1G0rX8Daqx_S-X7Bo8orH-MWpy-Q-c9w/edit?hl=en_US)
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I might as well post my girl since I still don't know if I got my maths right, with hyper skills and all that
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEaCOxp1tQa1G0rX8Daqx_S-X7Bo8orH-MWpy-Q-c9w/edit?hl=en_US (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEaCOxp1tQa1G0rX8Daqx_S-X7Bo8orH-MWpy-Q-c9w/edit?hl=en_US)
I'll look this over a bit closer in the morning, but first impressions - holy shit man, got enough Base Will?
Also wiggle or hard dice in stability is lame. You guys are both going to trigger soooooo many trauma checks for having Full Power Only on your giant fuckoff powers, and with wiggle dice in stability you're basically just a serial murderer who has no problem with killing on a whim. That's no fun. :P
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I'll look this over a bit closer in the morning, but first impressions - holy shit man, got enough Base Will?
Also wiggle or hard dice in stability is lame. You guys are both going to trigger soooooo many trauma checks for having Full Power Only on your giant fuckoff powers, and with wiggle dice in stability you're basically just a serial murderer who has no problem with killing on a whim. That's no fun. :P
Yeah, I ended up taking my HD out of stability (partially because of that and partially because I realized it made the Loopy flaw pointless). Technically since they're hyperdice, I think our characters will freak out after the magical girl-ing is over because they lose all powers and hyperdice when they're not transformed.
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I'll look this over a bit closer in the morning, but first impressions - holy shit man, got enough Base Will?
Also wiggle or hard dice in stability is lame. You guys are both going to trigger soooooo many trauma checks for having Full Power Only on your giant fuckoff powers, and with wiggle dice in stability you're basically just a serial murderer who has no problem with killing on a whim. That's no fun. :P
Yeah, I ended up taking my HD out of stability (partially because of that and partially because I realized it made the Loopy flaw pointless). Technically since they're hyperdice, I think our characters will freak out after the magical girl-ing is over because they lose all powers and hyperdice when they're not transformed.
Also, one of the magical girls has the power to summon horrors from beyond time and space. 1 wiggle die might not be enough.
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The Powers for a character I've been designing for fun... His powers are based off of The Dragon Shouts from Skyrim with an emphasis on being more like a Half Dragon in some respects... i.e. Extra Tough and an Attached Heavy Armor... I am looking at the Dr. Jurassic example in the book for a "Transformation" type power.
I made these two breath weapons today...
Knockback Shout (1/Die)
Attacks[Range, Mass]
Attacks Extra's and Flaws:
Power Capacity [Mass] +2
Booster[Mass] +1
Daze +1
High Capacity [Mass] +1
Slow -2
If/Then -1
Obvious -1
Scattered Damage -1
Full Power Only -1
Effect: You let loose a mighty shout that sends your enemy flying dealing random damage to each hit location.
If/Then: Must be able to speak.
Breath of Ice or Fire (1/Die)
Attacks[Range]
Attacks Extra's and Flaws:
Burn +2
Daze +1
Engulf +2
Spray +1
If/Then -1
If/Then -1
Full Power Only -1
Slow -2
Obvious -1
Reduced Capacity [Range] -1
Effect: You spew forth a gout of flame or freezing mist. Damaging your enemies and setting them on fire or stiffening their movements.
If/Then: Must be able to speak.
If/Then: You can only use Daze or Burn at any given time.
Notes: I feel like I whored these points down a bit much... but the limitations are all fitting and honestly I want to add limited damage to the Knockback Shout because I want to have it with lots of knockback and I want it to go first, I want it to be a primarily Defensive Power.
I am not sure if I should buy the Shout with like 7HD or if I should buy it with only a few HD and then buy up Booster and Go First to get it off before I get attacked. I hesitate to buy lots of Hard dice because it's not meant to do much damage.
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I got a new player coming in and she wants to make The Doctor (Dr Who). So I luckly don't need to stat out a Tardis but she does want the sonic screwdriver. I don't know much about Dr Who lore, so I got no idea how to stat the item out, other than make it a focus. I was told it does everything but doesn't work on wood, which didn't help much. Anyone feel like helping me out?
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how many points are the characters?
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The standard default 125 as the book suggests.
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Dr. Who is like a 300+ point character.
the sonic screwdriver is like 500 points.
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Useful with Variable Effect, Limited: No effect on wood.
+2 (Useful)
+4 (Variable)
-1 (Limited)
-1 (Focus)
__
4 points per die.
Buy two wiggle and three normal (32 + 12 = 44 points) and she'll be able to always succeed at whatever level is needed or to reliably do two screwdriver related things at once.
Naturally this isnt THE Doctor's version. You'd need Speeding Bullet, Go First, and a bunch of other extras.
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Thanks guys. I can always use the it's damaged so it's not working at full power, to explain the non 500 point version. But now I'm curious as to the stats that Ross pointed at.
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A sonic screw driver is deus ex machina for tech problems. It would cost somewhere around 7 or 8 points per die and would be a 10wd power
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Hey guys we are about to start back up with WT on Monday with 500 pt. characters, and I need a little help with designing a new power. I'm calling it The Planar Access Code. Basically I wave my hand in the air and a magical access panel appears. I punch in a code that will open a gateway and allow myself and others to venture into the nexus hub between realms, so we can travel to other planes/dimensions. It will be a 2hd miracle but I'm having trouble with the extras. So far I think it will need radius and probably mass. It will cost willpower and have a delayed effect with an if/then to punch in the code, but it will probably be riddled with flaws as I try to cut it down to 1/die. Any suggestions?
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It will need range too if you don't want to just pop into whatever space is parallel in the other dimension (deep space, middle of a rock, etc) and some sort of useful quality to see where you are landing before you get there. I'd add on a shit ton of boosters as well, in the tune to to the sun. It sounds like an expensive power to me.
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In five hours I will have your power edited into this space. Have to run right now. 8)
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It will need range too if you don't want to just pop into whatever space is parallel in the other dimension (deep space, middle of a rock, etc) and some sort of useful quality to see where you are landing before you get there. I'd add on a shit ton of boosters as well, in the tune to to the sun. It sounds like an expensive power to me.
I don't mind the random appearance on another plane even though that would probably require uncontrollable as a flaw. I do have Scrying as a power which allows me to see across distances. I could add the environment bound flaw to make sure there's breathable air. The only problem I'm having is with range. If all planes/dimensions overlap and the nexus can be accessed from anywhere as it exists outside of time and space, then presumably the range would be zero or at least not applicable. Plane shift in DnD allows you to cross over but never to an exact location as planar relativity is always in flux. Therefore, an environmentally bound plane shift would force the shift to the relatively closest breathable air exit. Teleportation presumes your power protects you from inflicting damage upon yourself by occupying the same space as other matter unless you take flaws. Theoretically the same would have to apply.
So far I have:
Useful, Mass
Duration +2 to keep the access working until we find the appropriate exit from the nexus
Booster +2 to take a group
Willpower Cost -2
If/Then -1 punch in the code
Go Last -1
Environment Bound -1
I could add on Power Capacity Range if necessary and Loopy and Obvious to counteract the point cost. Or maybe I need to add in No Physics to explain away some of the leaps in scientific reasoning.
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If it does to different places and not the same Plane each time than your probably going to need Variable Effect or some lesser variation there of.
You could also add "Slow" and "Depeleted" in order to recop some of those lost points.
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If it does to different places and not the same Plane each time than your probably going to need Variable Effect or some lesser variation there of.
You could also add "Slow" and "Depeleted" in order to recop some of those lost points.
Good point. Thanks, Tad.
Revised:
Useful, Mass
Variable Effect +4
Duration +2 to keep the access working until we find the appropriate exit from the nexus
Booster +2 to take a group
Slow -2
Willpower Cost -2
If/Then -1 punch in the code
Go Last -1
Environment Bound -1
Loopy -1
Obvious -1
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Based on that current calculation you've got a 3 point per die power, so 2HD would be 12 points.
The problem with 2HD powers is their reduced base values and how easily they can be thrown off (no multiple actions for example).
I'd suggest adding at least 2 D to the power (uping the price to 18 points) so that in the event something goes horribly wrong you have a few extra dice to toy with. Since HD go first when losing dice from a pool having a 1 penalty would normally make a 2HD power unusable but with those 2 normal dice you still have a chance of pulling it off (only 1 of the 2 needs to come up 10 and til'll still work).
Actually, at that point you'd get a more effective result by making it 1WD, 2 D than 2 HD, 2 D and you'd have (narratively) much more control over the portal.
I'm getting a little out of control here...
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How are you getting 3/die? I'm counting 8 in extras and 9 in flaws. Useful is 2, right?
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Hey guys we are about to start back up with WT on Monday with 500 pt. characters, and I need a little help with designing a new power. I'm calling it The Planar Access Code. Basically I wave my hand in the air and a magical access panel appears. I punch in a code that will open a gateway and allow myself and others to venture into the nexus hub between realms, so we can travel to other planes/dimensions. It will be a 2hd miracle but I'm having trouble with the extras. So far I think it will need radius and probably mass. It will cost willpower and have a delayed effect with an if/then to punch in the code, but it will probably be riddled with flaws as I try to cut it down to 1/die. Any suggestions?
Environment bound is a focus-only flaw, so unless Ross will rule otherwise dunno if that'll apply here. Here's my crack at it.
So You Want to be a Planeswalker 2hd
Useful - Group Planar Travel (2 point base)
Capacities: Mass - 10,000 lbs (Base 100 lbs, Booster x2)
Extras:
-Variable Effect (Variable Planar Travel) +4 [6]
-Duration (Access Time) +2 [8]
-Booster x2 (10,000 lb capacity) +2 [10]
Flaws:
-Willpower Cost (Paid when activating power) -2 [8]
-Exhausted (Activates only once per relevant scene) -3 [5]
-If/Then (Must know and punch in planar code) -1 [4]
-Go Last (Portal activates as very last action of round) -1 [3]
-Obvious (Shining white light, little psychic *ding* noise in everyone around's brain) -1 [2]
-Loopy (Martyr gets goofy until he passes a stability check - ONLY worth points if you have no wiggle or hard dice in Command or Stability) -1 [1]
OR
-Fragile (Power fails but can be reattempted if the Martyr suffers damage or a gobble die penalty) -1 [1]
Giving you a reliable way to jetset around the multiverse. Hope you like my version!
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The Powers for a character I've been designing for fun... His powers are based off of The Dragon Shouts from Skyrim with an emphasis on being more like a Half Dragon in some respects... i.e. Extra Tough and an Attached Heavy Armor... I am looking at the Dr. Jurassic example in the book for a "Transformation" type power.
I made these two breath weapons today...
Knockback Shout (1/Die)
Attacks[Range, Mass]
Attacks Extra's and Flaws:
Power Capacity [Mass] +2
Booster[Mass] +1
Daze +1
High Capacity [Mass] +1
Slow -2
If/Then -1
Obvious -1
Scattered Damage -1
Full Power Only -1
Effect: You let loose a mighty shout that sends your enemy flying dealing random damage to each hit location.
If/Then: Must be able to speak.
Breath of Ice or Fire (1/Die)
Attacks[Range]
Attacks Extra's and Flaws:
Burn +2
Daze +1
Engulf +2
Spray +1
If/Then -1
If/Then -1
Full Power Only -1
Slow -2
Obvious -1
Reduced Capacity [Range] -1
Effect: You spew forth a gout of flame or freezing mist. Damaging your enemies and setting them on fire or stiffening their movements.
If/Then: Must be able to speak.
If/Then: You can only use Daze or Burn at any given time.
Notes: I feel like I whored these points down a bit much... but the limitations are all fitting and honestly I want to add limited damage to the Knockback Shout because I want to have it with lots of knockback and I want it to go first, I want it to be a primarily Defensive Power.
I am not sure if I should buy the Shout with like 7HD or if I should buy it with only a few HD and then buy up Booster and Go First to get it off before I get attacked. I hesitate to buy lots of Hard dice because it's not meant to do much damage.
Alright, so, to give you what you want for the first power without having to 'whore it down' - I recommend we go with a new extra for you. Call it 'Knockback', make it cost one point per die - a power with this extra inflicts one yard of knockback per point of damage, every extra level of Knockback adds another yard per damage - it otherwise acts just as listed in the book, with all relevant modifiers, and would stack on those existing rules. Take 1wd+1d and load up on the Knockback extra, that way you can have a low-damage power with a ton of knockback and not need to twist things like that.
Breath of Ice or Fire looks good, although I believe that I've expressed my feelings for Full Power Only - on attack powers it really should be a two point extra, not a flaw, because it really breaks things down. I get what they were going for thematically, but it just begs for abuse. :-\
My build of Shout 1d+1wd:
Attacks - Breath Weapon
Capacities: Mass (500 lbs), Range (10 yards)
Extras:
Knockback +1 [3]
Power Capacity (Mass) +2 [5]
Booster (Mass) +1 [6]
Daze +1 [7]
Flaws:
Slow -2 [5]
If/Then (Must be able to speak) -1 [4]
Obvious -1 [3]
Scattered Damage -1 [2]
Giving you a cost of 2 points per die, with 7 yards of knockback per point of shock or killing damage (28 yards on a 2SK damage attack).
Total cost for 1d+1wd is 10 points, not too bad of an investment compared with 6wd like you were thinking.
This is exactly the sort of thing you should look at a new extra for. :D
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Full disclosure: I fucking hate magical girls, and I'm not a big anime fan. ;D I will do my best to not let this color my post, but if I seem a bit snippy, you have been warned.
Also, one of the magical girls has the power to summon horrors from beyond time and space. 1 wiggle die might not be enough.
You're misunderstanding Trauma checks. It's a flat success unless your GM is imposing special rules on it - it's why so much stuff in the book hinges on you not having hard dice in Command and stability, because even a single match, regardless of height or width, will make the check succeed. As written, the character will not (cannot unless you specifically choose to do so, in fact) ever fail a trauma check. But on to the real questions.
I might as well post my girl since I still don't know if I got my maths right, with hyper skills and all that
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEaCOxp1tQa1G0rX8Daqx_S-X7Bo8orH-MWpy-Q-c9w/edit?hl=en_US (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEaCOxp1tQa1G0rX8Daqx_S-X7Bo8orH-MWpy-Q-c9w/edit?hl=en_US)
Huh. So, ummm... You really need to specify how many points you bought in your powers, and whether or not your 'hyperbrawl' in the skills section is supposed to be the same as the Hyper Brawl down in the powers section. And if so, where the hell does 'thousand paunch' come in, and how many dice do you actually have in it? I've made some assumptions based on the way it's written, but the way things are listed I really can't give you an exact answer yes or no.
I wrote up a big thing analyzing it line by line, which I'll link here through google docs (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P7YsNczTq83bWGGNgxAt3eVjOQvh-44Eei51ACcWGB4/edit), but to summarize...
I don't know how you meant to buy your last three powers, but with my best guess for how many dice you wanted, you're either 25 or 50 points over with the hyperbrawl mentioned down below replacing the normal cost of the hyperbrawl mentioned above for 4d+1hd, only 2d in 'Thousand paunch', and either 5d or 5hd in your magical girl toughness thing.
Sorry about taking so long to get back to you, things have been crazy here. Let me know if you have questions on my math.
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Useful, Mass
Variable Effect +4
Duration +2 to keep the access working until we find the appropriate exit from the nexus
Booster +2 to take a group
Slow -2
Willpower Cost -2
If/Then -1 punch in the code
Go Last -1
Environment Bound -1
Loopy -1
Obvious -1
Pretty sure it's 3. Let me check.
Useful, 2
Variable, 4
Duration, 2
Booster, 2
So that's positive 10.
Slow, 2
Willpower, 2
If/Then, 1
Go Last, 1
Environmental, 1
Loopy, 1
Obvious, 1
And 9 negative.
Okay, you where right, it's at 1 point per die.
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I got more questions (what else is new). First is another Dr Who item the psychic paper how to stat that and the second is I got another player with a utility belt like batmans, should it just have like 2HD for pulling out whatever he needs, then using throw or whatever after it like a multi action?
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Basically anything that has an effect that isn't exactly the same every time you use it requires Variable Effect.
For the paper I'd say it'd be:
Useful, +2, appears to be something else
Variable Effect, +4, appears differently depending on the situation
Speeding Bullet +2, can not be defended against unless subject possess Mind 6d or higher
Limited -1, User can not directly control what the subject sees
Total of 7 per, 2 HD is 28 points, which sounds just about right to me.
Not sure about the utility belt. I'll leave that to somebody else.
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Basically anything that has an effect that isn't exactly the same every time you use it requires Variable Effect.
For the paper I'd say it'd be:
Useful, +2, appears to be something else
Variable Effect, +4, appears differently depending on the situation
Speeding Bullet +2, can not be defended against unless subject possess Mind 6d or higher
Limited -1, User can not directly control what the subject sees
Total of 7 per, 2 HD is 28 points, which sounds just about right to me.
Not sure about the utility belt. I'll leave that to somebody else.
Don't forget the
If/Then: Variable Effect can only be used to make new identifications.
and
If/Then: Doesn't work on anyone with a psychic power permission.
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As a game master I wouldn't consider those large enough drawbacks to merit additional point returns.
Maybe the second one, but only if psychic abilities where somewhat wide spread in the setting so I was likely to come up.
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Technically the first one has to be included because otherwise the psychic paper is useful with variable effect so it could RAW be used to read minds or change someones appearance or any number of wacky things.
At least thats how variable effect reads to me.
The psychic power permission is dependant on the universe so I agree for that one.
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I would have to agree, but I think the point was that the restriction in terms of flaws is required, but he's not actually going to get any point reduction from it. The thing that I think a lot of people miss is that the GM does have the right to say 'Yup, these flaws will be needed but you're still not flawing a power of this strength down to 1 point per die'.
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Maybe this is why my practice powers end up costing next to nothing.
its a good point.
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Yep. Like the authors say, it's easy to make broken powers in Wild Talents. People tend to think of that in terms of the things a power can do and forget about the costs linked with it.
A good thing to do with a power that has alot of small Limitations on it is to add them all up together and compare them to a drawback of equal value.
Using the psychic paper example compare these two sets of negatives:
First assume these limitations on the ability-
User can not directly control what the subject sees (-1)
Variable Effect can only be used to make new identifications. (-1)
Doesn't work on anyone with a psychic power permission. (-1)
and second assume only this drawback-
Exhausted, this power can only be used once per scene (-3)
Do you find these two sets of penalties to be equal to one another in game play terms? Only the game master can answer this question because each game is different.
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I guess personally I see the cost of variable effect needing to be offset based on how costly an extra it is but the use of it here is to allow it to be different each time, it wont make it a different power or even produce a different effect it just slightly alters the original power.
I do agree that it is a preference thing though.
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Mayhaps I can borrow y'alls skills again.
My buddy who has never played anything other than 3.5 DnD, wants to make a WoW style Warlock in WT... I'm having trouble with the Pet aspect of the class.
Sidekick kind of makes a base for it but thats getting expensive fast and im not sure if i've done it right because i've never played WoW for more than a few hours.
Halp plox?
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So I have got to say, the character creation rules, especially the power creation rules confuse the hell out of me. I have no idea to where to begin. Does anyone have a good step by step guideline they like to use to make character creation a little easier?
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The Excel spread sheet is amazingly helpful. I'll try to find you a decent build example; I thought there was at least one in the book.
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dis is a pretty good WT powers workshop http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?415509-Wild-Talents-2nd-The-Workshop
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T.O.: There are a few pre made characters in the book, but that doesn't fully explain character creation, and I have few questions that can't be answered just by looking at characters. If you do find anything helpful, I appreciate it.
Ross: Thanks, I will give that a look.
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I start with an outline.
Design them as people, picking skills and ect. then I tack on powers. The chaoter with Body Effects and all that is good for figuring out benchmarks. Then skills basdd on what job and whatnot i envision for them, then design powers and skills that lend themselves to the kind of hero i've designed.
As for the actual rules of character creation I just read them 3-4 times.
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Odd question here...
What are some specific drawbacks to having a transformation type power?
Like a 2HD Granite form power that just makes you look like a golem, then attached strength, HAR, and Extra Tough? Point wise it is clearly the best way to go however i am looking for specific situations where this would be a detriment.
Thoughts?
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Well the most obvious would be the visual. If its a world where looking like The Thing would be a problem that could be a real concern.
Otherwise..its mostly theoretical. If you took no flaws or disadvantages technically their would be no effects.
But you could take some cool effects.
He could take a flaw for no sense of touch..or no sense of smell...or something like that.
You could also stack a power that made him immune to actual wound effects, but take a flaw that causes him not to be aware of how hurt he is (When hes in golem form, you track his damage.
The game is flexible enough that if you were to take no flaws the visual would be the only detriment though.
Odd question here...
What are some specific drawbacks to having a transformation type power?
Like a 2HD Granite form power that just makes you look like a golem, then attached strength, HAR, and Extra Tough? Point wise it is clearly the best way to go however i am looking for specific situations where this would be a detriment.
Thoughts?
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So I am curious. I have a favorite character concept that I always have a hard time building in most game systems. I am thinking WT could do it.
Its a character based on Resurrection Man
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_Man
His dying and regenerating is easy, but its the variable power thats hard. Sometimes its insanely strong..other times its simple and weak. The idea being the power manifests based on what sort of power he might have that could have prevented him from dying from the last death.
Now the powers always are locked when he resurrects...but every time he dies and comes back they change. Anyone have any ideas of how I could make the variable strength make sense?
Or would it make more sense to just set the power at a specific level and just cap out the strength of his powers based on that idea.
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Simple enough. Permanent extra plus Always On flaw, don't buy hard dice - Buy regular dice plus one wiggle die.
Throw together a chart of a couple of powers you find fun, roll on it when you resurrect. Work the power off of height, work the strength of the power off of width.
This way you don't have a completely random power that could throw a game off or be useless, but you have a chance of different powers every time you die and variable strength on each of those powers - you could end up with one extremely strong power or several weaker ones, if you want to build it that way.
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Odd question here...
What are some specific drawbacks to having a transformation type power?
Like a 2HD Granite form power that just makes you look like a golem, then attached strength, HAR, and Extra Tough? Point wise it is clearly the best way to go however i am looking for specific situations where this would be a detriment.
Thoughts?
Well, you might try something like 'can't swim, still needs to breathe' or 'has special weakness while transformed'. It sounds like the Obvious flaw is ideal for starters - hard to hide Mr. McRock over here under a trenchcoat and hat if he has big rock spines sprouting from his body.
The extreme weight might be something to play with, or perhaps the flaw that limits your maximum width to two based on size or ungainliness. I can't remember the exact name right now and I certainly can't be bothered to go look. ;D
Really, the more specific you can be about the power itself will only help for stuff like this. Is the player trying to find flaws to add to bring down the point cost, or is it supposed to be a fluff thing related to the power?
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It's actually a rules specific inquiry of "Is there any drawback to having a 2hd transformation power and then taking all other powers as attched powers for the price cut." The only detriment i can think of off the top of my head is if the power gets nullified then essentially all his powers stop working.
Any other rules that take poke holes in this kind of build?
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Newbish Wild Talents GM here.
I'm going to run the adventure in the back of The Kerberos Club for my group as a primer to the setting and the WT system at large. I've been reading over the NPCs, and how the book handles interference defensive powers leaves me perplexed.
Relevant rules text quoted below. Pg 269 if anybody has a copy. Pertinent text bolded.
Sidestep Time 7d (14 per die; 98 Points)
Defends (slow or freeze time)
Defends Extras: Controlled Effect +1, Duration +2, Interference +3, Radius +2
Defends Flaws: Causes Opium Cravings –1, Fragile –1, Willpower Bid –1
Effect: Once Tick Tock has taken a defensive stance with his power, he can gobble up to seven dice from all attacks made against him, and he can extend this same protection to his allies. Capacity: Radius (10 yards).
I was under the impression that defensive powers only got to utilize the amount of dice that were in the successful set as gobble dice, but throughout the book it's written as if a single roll activates them all for use. Is this right?
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I believe your original interpretation to be correct you get interference dice for every die in the set not power.
I dont own the book you speak of but I am not sure how the powers are worded.
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After listening to the Wild Talents episode and reading through these posts, I've finally decided to start up my own Wild Talents campaign. I want to set the world in present day but have the player characters be some of the first supers ever. I've had my players come up with ideas for the super powers but only create 'normal' characters to start the game. I'm going to play a little loose with the rules to start and have their powers manifest during game play and have their first use manifest as 2 HD. They will be able to refine their powers as we go along but I want the players to have to deal with the consequences of their first super experience. Has any one here tried a setting like this before? Any suggestions or ideas will be appreciated.
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How feasible is this hero in Wild Talents?
A long time ago I tried creating a hero I wrote up in Marvel Super Heroes, however the game didn't last long..
His alias is chromatic, secret identity Concord. College student, highly smart, he was what many would call a nerd. (Great Sense, Mind, and Command. Not so good Body or Coordination)
For as long as he knew, he had the ability to control and create this swarm of grey 'dull Matter', as he originally called them. With which he originally could do the following.
>Create/Replenish by converting inorganic matter. One way transformation.
>Shape into objects of assorted shapes.
>Shape into defensive structures.
>Modify density of nullmatter by condensing/expanding
>Although he wasn't a hero at the time. He could use it to bind and contain things.
>Although he wasn't a hero at the time. He technically could use it to form moving platforms that sometimes ignored physics.
It wasn't until a horrifying accident that his powers evolved. Causing him to be the only survivor, and the souls/spirits/personalities of his friends somehow being imprinted on the Null Matter, causing it to evolve into the next level.
The null matter split into six swarms, each of differnet colors and abilities. He then called 'Paintlings'
All
>Null Mater abilities
>Reflexively acts to defend him, interfering with attacks, sometimes trapping foes.
>Forms a second skin on him, acting like armor, which remains on him even if they are away from him. Chromatic being able to hide it if needed.
>Each able to act away from him. However, if they are away from him for too long. They find themselves reforming at his side.
>Able to direct their own 'sub swarms' to attack foes.
>Able to leave inanimate structures of their own behind.
>Always on to a degree.
>No longer human, not needing to breathe/eat
>Able to communicate with Concord telepathically
Red
>Ignites and burns.
>Largely immune to fire
Blue
>Chills and Freezes.
>Largely immune to cold
Green
>Heals and Regenerates
Yellow
>Electricity and Shocking
>Largely immune to electricity
White
>Lights and dazes.
Black
>Tough and defending...forming the majority of his costume
His low powered version, at the start of his super heroing, had it, when in combat, he could only have one 'animate' at a time, and the others relegated to manual control/defense, and when outside of combat (low stress situation) they could take humanoid forms and act on their own interests, despite being mono-colored and obviously no longer human,
A higher version of him, at the top of his game, was able to have all six swarms animate simultaneously in combat.
I ask again, How feasible is this hero in Wild Talents?
I am not sure how to go about creating him.
I see him having a bunch of variable...variable Block/Containment/Bind...with Interference? variable endless create? Variable control? The variable sidekick with Willpower Bid? Permanent on the Create? Possibly No Upward Limit on Create...
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That's a high power character, regardless of system. The first one would be 300-400 points, simply given how many powers he has.
The second character is really 7 characters that share one body it sounds like. Design 7 characters at 500 points each and make sure you sure have a 'shared body' power/switching feature, I'd guess.
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I guessed he was high powered...which is why he could managed to wrangle 3 assault robots at a time in MSH by trapping them in big bubbles formed out of light (the power was limited by lack of autonomy and needing to solidify energy).
I'll probably downgrade him or something if I try and play him in a different gmae
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Question.
I have a player who wants to be able to transform anything non living to a custom substance that retains the hardness of its source material, but he can later target with a limited Control Power.
He wants to be able to indefinitely maintain an amount of transformed material equal to how much he could carry.
He wants any transformed material past that to revert to normal after a certain period of time.
What flaws would be used for that?
Transform into Custom substance
2 Useful. Endless+3. Mass. If/Then(Non living material only) -1 If/Then(Only to custom substance) -1 If/Then(Endless applies only to how much he can carry, Past that it is duration) -1. If/Then(Material Retains original Mass/Density) -1. = 1. 10 HD. 20 points
Would that be it for the Transform Power?
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3 of those If/Thens aren't needed.
Useful (Changes inorganic matter into custom material)
Endless
If/Then (Endless applies only to how much he can carry, Past that it is duration)
4 point per die. 2 HD, 16 points.
Why would you need 10 Hard Dice?
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3 of those If/Thens aren't needed.
Useful (Changes inorganic matter into custom material)
Endless
If/Then (Endless applies only to how much he can carry, Past that it is duration)
4 point per die. 2 HD, 16 points.
Why would you need 10 Hard Dice?
Um....for massive amounts of transformed material in combat? That was his reasoning. Being able to make tons of the stuff then manipulate tons of the stuff, in combat, as he wanted his powers to all revolve around the special matter.
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So long as he understands hd aren't controlled. If he has 10 hd in the power then he's going to transform the maximum amount that it allows everytime that he uses it.
What he probably wants is 1wd+9d; maximum pool (and as such Mass) with full control over it (and cheaper than 10 hd).
At 4 points a die that's 4*4 + 4*9 = 52 points.
Add the "If/Then(Endless applies only to how much he can carry, Past that it is duration)" back in and make it 3 points a die to knock it down to 39 points for the power.
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Norm's Hard Drive that I am Pretty sure is the Cortical Stack of one Dr. Pangloss 4/die 3hd (24 pts)
Useful[Self]
Extra's and Flaws: Variable Effect +4, Self Only -3, Duration +2, Focus -1, Delayed Effect -2, Indestructible +2, Immutable -1, If/Then(Variable Effect Only for choosing new Mind skills) -1, Friends Only +2
Gives user 3 dice in any one mind skill usable for duration. Gaining these bonus dice requires time spent researching the topic with the device.
So....
Got bored did this...
Fun.
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Oh the hard drive. Now that I think of it, 2010-11 has been the year of insanely long-term MacGuffins for RPPR. We're all about carrying around deadly devices for session after session lately.
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Basically anything that has an effect that isn't exactly the same every time you use it requires Variable Effect.
For the paper I'd say it'd be:
Useful, +2, appears to be something else
Variable Effect, +4, appears differently depending on the situation
Speeding Bullet +2, can not be defended against unless subject possess Mind 6d or higher
Limited -1, User can not directly control what the subject sees
Total of 7 per, 2 HD is 28 points, which sounds just about right to me.
Not sure about the utility belt. I'll leave that to somebody else.
That seems crazy high. For 28 points, couldn't you also grab 7 wiggle dice in Lie and tell people that you are the moon?
If you really want to do it as a focus instead of a plain 1pt per die hyperskill, you can keep your Speeding Bullet (though I don't think I like the idea of a PC having a generally unstoppable lie machine) and offset the price with some likely limitations like: Focus (duh), Accessible (It's a leather wallet, not a suit of power armor), If/Then (Only works on people or things that might care at all about what's in your wallet.), No Physical Change (It is psychic paper after all), Go Last (The machine gun nest will probably shoot you before it's operator comprehends the significance of your professional doctorate degree) and Limited (GM gets to choose what lie you're going with based on what he finds most amusing at the time. You cannot deviate from the lie he picks without breaking the effect of your Lie roll).
Edit: I have replied to a very, very old post. Whoopsie.
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Yeah, it's crazy high because it's built to reflect the observed traits of the paper itself. I haven't watched enough Dr. Who to know the limitations on the thing.
My turn to ask for help.
I'm creating a villain character who summons small horbes of demon servents to do things for him.
The plan is to give him a large pool of dice with Variable Effect and Augment attached with the useful power that the power summons a horbe of demons. My thought it is that this would create a threat pool to represent the group, which would then act on it's own. I haven't ever tried anything like this. Has anyone got any experience with powers that create new entities in their use?
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Minions default power with attached skill dice for the skills you want them to have?
Seems like this is the easy way to do it.
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There's a Minions power? Like, in the book as one of the example powers? I need new glasses apparently...
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Yep and it even gives my suggestion for customizing them.(Well I suppose it was their suggestion first.)
Minions 2/die 8d2hd (24 pts)
Useful(Range)
Extras and Flaws: Permanent +4 (if you want several different groups otherwise Duration), Delayed Effect -2, Slow -2
Summons 10 Demonic minions of expert quality. It takes time for the portal that brings them forth to open and doings so is a draining ordeal that cannot be repeated again until you take a moment to recoup the energy required.
Attached ideas
Hellfire Blast
Claws
Detect Magic Ability
Perception Skill
Lockpicking
You could even take Variable Effect and If/Then for different kinds of demons that the attached powers only work for. That would be getting a little complex though.
Hope I helped. The only reason I was able to come up with something is because in the WT game i'm getting ready to start while we were discussing concepts this idea came up. So I had toyed with this a little bit already.
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Cool. I found the power in the book after you mentioned it. I created an Attacks, Defends, and Variable Effect Useful, all tied to the summoned demons to make them a rounded threat.
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So lets talk complicated powers for a second here...
Alchemy Rocks! 12/die 2hd [48 pts]
Attacks[N/A] Defends [N/A] Useful [N/A]
Attacks, Defends, and Useful Extras and Flaws:
Variable Effect +4
Permanent +4
Always On -1
If/Then -1(No Hard Dice on Stats and Skills)
If/Then -1(Only for Variable Effect)
If/Then -1(Requires a work space and materials)
Delayed Effect -2
Effect: The character can create basic Alchemical items for use by himself or his comrades. Any stat or skill dice given by this power are given as normal hyperdice and not as hard dice. It takes time for the items to become useable.
The following are my attempts at making items using this power. I tried as hard as I can to cause the Willpower cost to 0.
Alchemist Fire
Attacks [Range]
Extras and Flaws: Burn +2, Go First +2 Scattered Damage -1, Depleted -1, Limited Damage (Killing) -1, Focus -1
Effect: On a successful hit the opponent takes two points of killing damage to random hit locations and is set on fire. Curzon can create 6 uses of this power at a time.
Big Alchemist Fire
Attacks [Range]
Extras and Flaws: Burn +2, Go First +2, Area +3, Scattered Damage -1, One Use -4, Limited Damage (Killing) -1, Focus -1
On Width+2 Initiative this Alchemists Fire goes off doing 3 Area dice of damage and setting everyone within 10 yards of the blast on fire as well as dealing 2 additional killing damage to two random hit locations.
Healing Potion 2hd
Useful [Touch]
Extras and Flaws: Engulf +2, Go First +6, Touch Only -2, One Use -4, Focus -1, Accessible -1
At Initiative eight, heals two shock and two killing from every hit location.
Stat Tonic 2d
Hyperstat
Duration +2 One Use -4
Potion of Invisibility
Useful[Touch]
Extras and Flaws: Go First +6 Duration +2, Touch Only -2, Focus -1, Accessible -1, One Use -4
What do you guys think? I am doing this right... I may have misinterpreted the rules but I think I followed the example for Variable Effect correctly.
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You need Augment to effect other people's die pools.
In my game I'd put more limits on it, like "Uses Willpower in place of Power Points when constructing alchemy" so that things costing less than 1 per die would be free and probably have them only good for Width days.
What's fun about Wild Talents is that these kinds of restrictions aren't universal, it's designed to allow the game master and players to tailor the level of their own game.
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It's true that group preferences do play a large part in the power construction department...
The only reason I didn't put Augment on the tonic that increases a stat is because in the Variable Effect description it states that you can turn the dice from the power into dice for stats as long as you have all three qualities with your variable effect. I am still trying to get down the nuts and bolts 100% before I alter it to suit my own balance.
Either way thanks for the feedback... I made a similar power using a spellbook focus and calling the guy a 3.5 style wizard with prepared spells and whatnot, so I want to make sure I have a good handle on the abilities before I try to stat something that complex.
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If they have all three Capacities Variable Effect and Augment are kinda the same thing, I suppose, just in different ways.
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I think that the real differences are that Augment doesn't add to the power capacities of the dice pool it is added to, and the extras are all or nothing.
The Variable Effect dice do add to the Capacities and you get to use willpower to match the new dice with your normal dice in terms of extras and flaws.
I knew this was a complicated subsystem of the game(since the book told me as much) but I didn't count on it being this tough. I think I am starting to get my head around it however.
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Variable is supposed to represent a power that can change its function, basically becoming a new power. Since Hyperskills are essentually powers Variable Effect can be used to emulate them, becoming a Hyperskill (for a single turn unless it has Duration or another extender).
Augment adds itself to another ability but it doesn't actually change what it is. So you can either build Augment to add dice or add Extras. Variable Effect can't "add" Extras, it can just become new powers.
There is also timing. Variable Effect is supposed to be rolled to change the effect into the new power before it can be activated. Augment, however, can be triggered outside of normal limits.
So both have complex similar effects but are fairly different in a deeper level. This is the part of the game that makes me head hurt a little.
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I understand what you mean with the head hurtiness stuff.
Additional info I have learned. (That has nothing to do with the Augment/Variable Effect stuff above)
Characters are generally better off trying to "Attach" all their meta abilities to some kind of Transformation power.
I.E.
Turn Purple 2/die 2hd [8 pts]
Useful[Self]
Extras and Flaws: Endless +3, Self Only -3
The characters skin turns purple.
Then give him super strength and regeneration and hard armor and light armor and immunity and eye lasers all for -2 Flaw of being attached to his Turn Purple power.
The only detriment I can think of to this is if someone tries to nullify your powers or if you find a reason not to be Purple all the time.
I guess you could just make the flaw worth less or nothing at all but that seems kind of unfair to them since it is still a detriment in some ways... I think making it a -1 might be more what I am going for.
Does anyone have experience with something like this?
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Yeah, it's mentioned on the TvTropes site in their section about Wild Talents. It's a legit build by the rules. If one of my players wanted to build like that I'd require a significant flaw in the Transformation ability, some specific and somewhat easy way to counter act it for example.
Also note that a 2HD power can be hard to get off if the fight surprises you. One Width 3 hit or someone with 1 Go First Extra and you'll lose that set unless you put Interference on it.
And since Wild Talents is group by group regulated, the game master is free to tell someone they can't do that.
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Finally started my Wild Talents New Arcadia clone campaign.
Lineup
Ex-Military Telepath with a mind blast that stuns enemies and a suggestion type ala Jedi Mind Trick.
A young guy who uses his teleportation powers to make sure he doesn't acutally have to work. Starts heroing due to his thrill seeking nature. Can teleport other and enemies without going with them. Can also call objects within line of sight to his hands, this acts as a disarm attempt if the item is attended.
A sentient robot super scientist with the gadgeteering miracle. He can also turn from robot form to car form. He plans to use this power to transform into vehicles in general like helicopters and speed boats eventually but is limited at the moment.
I've got a few random npc's who will be making appearances, one is named Harmony after the crazy npc from Eclipse Phase except her power is that she is unable to die. She doesn't have much in the way of skills or useful knowledge she just keeps getting back up.
Which lead to a weird metaphysics question that I solved with a seperate useful quality.
If you have Regeneration with Permanent +4, Always On -1 and you die... you technically keep regenerating because if the power was meant to stop when you died it would be Endless not Permanent. So no matter how anniahlated you are your body should continue to work. This begs the question of, "What happens to my soul when I die." Assuming we make theology a 100% fact for this world... does your soul return to your fully healed body? Or does your body heal but your mind and soul leave it?
Either way I added Useful(Cannot Die) as an additional effect so that I don't have to worry about that.
TLDR; Described my player characters for my ripoff game. Does Regeneration stop you from dying?
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As written you would die like normal but regeneration wouldn't stop functioning just because you die. If the character returns to life or not is up to the GM. This is the kind of thing that needs to be decided when creating the power.
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I'd look at this as a matter or preference... however, I'd like to put it to popular opinion as I am not sure how to go as of yet.
Sensors 3/die 2hd 12 pts
Useful[Self]
Extras and Flaws: Duration +2, Self Only -3, Variable Effect +4, If/Then(Only for different senes) -1 Focus -1
Effect: Allows the user to view the world through alternate spectrums of light as well as make certain energy signatures visable.
Or
Sensors 4/die 5d1wd
Useful[Range]
Extras and Flaws: Variable Effect +4, If/Then(Only for different senses) -1, Focus -1
Effect: You can roll your Sensor dice to instead of your Perception dice to notice things on other spectrums, or specific energy signatures.
Personally I am leaning more toward the first one. Although it is slightly cheaper, it also requires that you still be able to use Perception and Scrutiny to find things.
What do you think?
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Operational Skill (+0)
You must have a particular Skill to use the focus. Use the lower of the two dice pools, either the focus’ power or the Skill. If you have Hard Dice or Wiggle Dice in the Skill dice pool, however, you can use them even if the focus itself has no Hard Dice or Wiggle Dice.
I have an idea of how I think this works, I'd like someone else to explain this to me to make sure I have it right. Especially "If you have Hard Dice or Wiggle Dice in the Skill dice pool, however, you can use them even if the focus itself has no Hard Dice or Wiggle Dice."
Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?Please?
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Yes. ;D You're buying the focus itself, it's adding an additional wrinkle onto other points you're spending on your skill/hyperskill. I would rule that you can only use a dice pool up to the total number of dice in the focus, however.
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If I am reading it correctly:
Say it's a super pistol.
You use the smaller of your pistol/hyperpistol+coordination/hypercoordination or your focus die pool
Example:
11d
Pistol Focus
or
5 Coordination+ 5 Pistol skill
means you would use your Coordination and Pistol pool because it's lower. You would still use this pool even if it were full of hard and wiggle dice, even though the pistol focus does not have it's own hd or wd.
Is that about right?
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If I understand the rules correctly, yes, you've got it.
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If I understand the rules correctly, yes, you've got it.
Well thanks, I have run about 10 sessions of this so far and still haven't gotten it 100% question free. Glad to see I'm picking it up.
On that note I am currently accepting suggestions for "Villain of the week" from people. I would be more than happy to hear anything you all come up with.
So far I have a reptile/amphibian themed villain who can super jump, turn invisible, spit poison and bite. Gliding and sticking to walls also included.
Also a man who is a Pyro/Cryo Kinetic and can take on an armored ice form or a human torch flying form. Or in between that he can become insubstantial by turing into steam.
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"Gravity Dude" - can manipulate localized gravitational force around himself for movement, quasi-super strength, and defense. Walk up walls, hit like a ton of bricks (literally), and bullets will be hopelessly accelerated away from him. Not in the evil business for the evil, in it for the challenge. Got something of a surfer dude mentality.
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I'll give him a try, It'll be interesting to see if they decide to kill him.
As a bonus thought exercise after listening to the new episode of New Arcadia:
How would you go about stating out Consequence's Attack me Not power?(I'm open to hearing everybody throw out ideas. Plus we have a bonus of the Caleb actually posting on these forums regularly so we can get it straight from the source as it we're)
Attack me and face the CONSEQUENCE 9/die 10hd [90 pts]
Attacks[Ranged]
Endless +3, If/Then(Only activates if someone intends him harm) -1, Non-Physical +3, Speeding Bullet +2
Maybe that would cover it? I'm sure there is a more elegant way to handle it, but this is my quick write up off the top of my head.
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Attack me and face the CONSEQUENCE 11/die 3hd[66 pts]
Attack[Ranged]
Permentant +4, Radius +2, Non-Physical +2, Speeding Bullet +2, +2 attack levels, +2 go first
Horrifying -1, It's always on -1, If/then(Only activates if someone intends him harm) -1
I don't know if another if/then is needed to cover it going to allies of the person who attacked is needed or if the radius and your original if/then covers that already. I changed endless to perm/iao since it didn't seem consequence could turn off his powers.
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I've lost the sheet since then and don't feel like redoing the process.
Holyeskimo pretty much has it, though. As I recall, I cheapened the brain stew power a bit though. Since it is non-physical, there is no dodging or mitigating the damage. I put it at 4hd and left off attack levels and go first. If you don't have nonphysical specific magic or telepathic defense, you're pretty much fucked anyway.
The offense is a linked to a cheap empath power with a lot of radius and 2hd. Empath power goes off automatically with the hit, identifies all targets, then the "empathy bomb" triggers. The power is cheapened with a limiting flaw I made up. It can only tell if you want to hurt him or not; he can't figure out how you feel about a political candidate or anything. He can't activate the power at all until harmed.
The healing power has Go Last at something like 3hd with engulf, if i recall. It is automatically triggered and is self only.
Load up a dud immortality power for a few dice and you have an unstoppable killing machine.
So basically, he has three powers that he can't trigger willingly at all. However, all power are triggered once he is harmed, and they always go off. Avalon could beat him by throwing him out of range at the speed of sound, and some powerful telepath might of been able to shut him down. But really, in most cases, it was just best not to fuck with him. I built him on 300 points, if I remember.
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Got a question concerning the heroes of New Arcadia campaign and possibly wild talents too. Where did the Lutian... lutean? come from? were they an original creation from the mind of Ross? Or are they in the wild talents book? Just curious about there conceptual origin.
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I made that shit up
The name is a corruption of Luyten - their home star - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luyten%27s_Star
I spell the alien name as Luytien
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Awesome.
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Anyone have a notion how Rj's Omniscience power was built?
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I don't remember how it worked. If I was included to have a player with that I'd probably go with:
Useful (Know anything known to man)
2 Hard Dice.
That'd cost 8 points and, as the Storyteller, I'd put a Willpower cost on that (pay 1 Willpower to use the ability). No Duration, no extended function, and self only is build into the wording. It would let you know one thing (GM's judgement about the size of "one thing") known to humankind.
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I don't remember how it worked. If I was included to have a player with that I'd probably go with:
Useful (Know anything known to man)
2 Hard Dice.
That'd cost 8 points and, as the Storyteller, I'd put a Willpower cost on that (pay 1 Willpower to use the ability). No Duration, no extended function, and self only is build into the wording. It would let you know one thing (GM's judgement about the size of "one thing") known to humankind.
That's more or less how I set it up for RJ - I gave limitations but I don't remember what off the top of my head but it was a 2 HD useful power. I think I also gave it variable since it could ape any skill.
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You could also use augment to add two hard dice to knowledge skills. That way you are guaranteed a knowledge roll of 2x10 minimum. If this power only pertained to facts this would be the best way imo
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That rights a bell... I think it might have been two Hard Dice in a Profession skill for knowledges. Like, he was trained in all Knowledges.
That'd make it 20 points.
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So a Jack of all trades power, would consist of Useful: Variable Effect, Augment, If/then(Die pool may not go above 7) for 9 per die.
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If you want a true Jack of All Trades power it would be:
Useful (Emulate Skills) Base 2
Variable Effect +4
If/Then: Only for Variable Effect -1
If/Then: Can only emulate skills -1
Augment +4
Total cost per die: 8
This would allow you to turn the dice in this power into any skill that exists or can be made up or you can add the dice to any of your existing skills with a Useful function (not Attacks or Defends).
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Does the Augment Extra automatically make the useful quality a self only quality?
If not then(assuming you weren't using the augment feature and instead using the Variable effect) you would need Self Only -3 to make sure you we're only giving yourself these skills. Not sure if Variable effect has the same caveat about needing power capacity range added to give others those abilities.
For instance
Useful[Range]
Change Appearance
and
Useful[Self]
Change Appearance
Both have Variable Effect but two very different effects.
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According to the text in the Wild Talent's book, by default Augment only applies to the user.
Yeah, it probably should have self only on it due to the Variable Effect.
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So I'm trying to figure things out and make a DIY super team in the process, question one: can you add the Spray quality to the brawl hyper skill so they can punch people in all the places?
I will have more questions.
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Yes. I personally enjoy finding extremely weird ways to apply Spray to different skills and abilities (research + spray: read multiple books / screens simultaneously), so I can attest you can. Picture it as a fighting game's rapid-fire flurry of punches, or reskin it how you like.
As a practical example: For the Star ORE game I'm probably never going to end up running, Darth Maul-style characters with double-bladed lightsabers get Spray 1 to show multiple hits with the lightsaber's two blades. This is modeled in-game with a hyperskill (Lightsaber) with a focus, and Spray 1 along with various levels of attacks and Penetration.
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Okay, so see if I have this right:
Short story: he's a pilot/martial artist, he's heard rumors that in the next three years a semi-obscure Taoist goddess will choose a new companion for 800ish years of immortality so he's started worshipping her and set out to prove himself a hero worthy of legend.
Stats (80 pts)
Body 3d(5d+2hd) Mind 2d
Coordination 3d(+2hd) Charm 2d
Sense 3d(6d) Command 3d
Base Will 6 (3) Willpower 7 (1)
Motivations: Prove self worthy: 3 Help out the struggling: 1
Passion: Hone skills: 2
Skills (54 pts)
Athletics 3d(5d) First Aid Interrogate
Blocking Knowledge: martial arts 3d Intimidate
Brawl 3d+3hd+1wd Language [Chinese] 1d Leadership
Endurance 3d Medicine Stability 2d
Melee Navigation 2d
Research
Dodge 3d(6d+3hd) Security System
Driving (jet) 3d Survival
Stealth Tactics
Ranged
Lie
Empathy 1d Performance
Perception 2d Persuasion 1d
Scrutiny 1d
Powers
Archetype (5 pts)
Life Force, power theme: martial arts (5pts)
Hyper stats (52 pts)
Body: 2d+2hd (24)
Coordination: 2hd (16)
Sense: 3d (12)
Hyper Skills: (45 pts)
Brawl: (+Spray: 2pts) 3hd+1wd (23, 8+12+3 unhyper skill)
Dodge: 3d+3hd (9)
Athletics 2d (2)
Stability: 1d+2hd (5)
Melee [Escrima stick] 2d+2hd (6)
Misc. (8pts)
Multiple Actions 2hd (8pts)
I'm not sure about the skills, I think he has a brawl and dodge pool of 14 so if he does multiple actions he can use either (replacing the lost hd with one from multiple actions.) If I want to have him dodge and attack in the same action I have to keep his dodge pool equal or higher or I lose the wiggle dice from brawl?
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Wiggle die from brawl, no matter the circumstances, can only be used in a set for brawl, so keep that in mind.
I am not going to check your math because I just got back from 7 hours of overtime paperwork but yes I believe you have the gist. This is an incredibly dodgy and punchy character, if those are your goals you should be proud. ;D
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Yes. I personally enjoy finding extremely weird ways to apply Spray to different skills and abilities (research + spray: read multiple books / screens simultaneously).
So if I put interference on my research skill, I can keep other people from learning about a thing. Add in permanent and I've checked out all the books and used up all the bandwith. You've gotta beat my hard dice if you want even the smallest scrap of knowledge. MUAHAHA (may use this for a semi-goofy bad guy sometime.)
Or putting traumatic on a skill, survival? Stright to cannibalism. Leadership? Warhammer Commissars fear me.
Burn+Lie means people keep believing what I say long after I've said it.
Daze+Lie means my lies knock people for a loop.
Subtle+attack skills or Persuasion or lie would be kind of dickish too.
Hell, speeding bullet+lie means normal people can't see through my lies, they come too fast and furious for tiny mortal minds to see them.
Too fun.
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Hokay, now for a harder question, have I got the math for figuring out multi-powers down? As example:
Control Computers UUUUUD: (U (universal interface), U (command override) U (powers computer) U (Binary translator), U (Remote command of armor): 10pts/d
Universal Interface (Duration+2 touch-2
Command Override: (Duration+2 Attached-2 (UI) Touch -2
Powers Computer (Duration+2 Attached-2 (UI) Touch-2 if/then must have suit on -1
Binary Translator (Duration+2 Attached-2 (UI) Touch-2
Remote Command of Armor Permanent+4 Range booster+2 Focus -1
Mind shielding (Permanent+4 Self only-3 if/then: can be bypassed by combined attack on mind and computer -1
This is the nano computer a young lady installed in herself (under the assumption it would not hurt) it is rewiring her brain a bit, grants hyper skills*, hyper mind, command and sense and is the interface jack for hir power armor, does that seem okay for a theme?
*She is unaware it gave her 4d in stability, somehow she never thinks about the chemicals keeping her more calm these days.
Next question: what does mutable mean? Do you need it to add new extras to a power? To buy new powers after the game starts? To change powers around? I am confused.
Nothing to do with anything but also I like:
Pilot and Suit repair systems (Regenerate Suit and pilot (6) Depleted-1 Focus-1 Slow-2 if/then must be linked into suit-1) (must be fed metal and meat, repairs her and the armor): 1
3hd (6)
Because the girl is bordering on terrified about what it means that she throws scrap metal and discount meat into a "vent" on her power armor and it uses that to rebuild her. She knows lots about nano things but still, she blew some of her foot off when testing out the blaster, and it's right back like new.
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Control Computers
You would need the Universal Interface so she can connect to any computer you want.
Then Powers Computer if you want her to be able to turn on disabled systems.
Binary Translator - I'm assuming this is the actual Control Power although I'm not sure if it would be necessary, instead should could just make a Computer Systems hyperskill check. This would also removed the "command override" requirement.
An easier way to make the Remote command of the armor would be to give the Universal interface a standard range capacity then if/than it so that she has to touch anything that doesn't already have a wireless signal. That way she can control her power armor at range without having to pay for a separate quality that is basically doing the same thing as another quality, just less so.
Technology is My Bitch UU [U(Universal Interface) U(Powers Computer)] 6/Die
Useful: Universal Interface[Duration +2 If/Then -1 Booster +2]
Useful: Powers Computer [Duration +2 Attached -2(UI) Touch -2]
Universal Interface: Allows the character to interface with any computer system this connection can be used at range if the machine already has a wireless signal. Use of appropriate Computer based hyperskill to manipulate the system is required once connected.
Powers Computer: Character can make physical contact to provide power for an electronic device.
As for Mutable I believe that is an extra for Foci? If so iirc it means that the powers in the focus can be altered easily... Don't quote me on that I'd have to look at my book.
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Mutable is not an extra for powers, it's part of your archetype. With mutable a character can build and buy new powers at any time using their character points, even during a session (though this costs extra). Without Mutable a character is limited in when they can spend points to add to their characters, and can only add a new power at the GM's discretion.
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I'm planning on using a nullify tech power on my players next game.
One of which is a sentient robot. Almost all of his powers are attached to his 3hd "Being a robot" power that gives him armor.
I told him during character creation that I would likely exploit this just for fair warning.
So the bruiser/tech guy is gonna be nullifed for the fight. One of the powers of the teleporter is also gonna be nullified.
I intend to make it 5hd interference with some Go First. Since they have punched their way out of every fight so far.
At least this is gonna make it more interesting combat wise... not sure if the robot character will get bored till that fight is over/ they figure out how to turn off the nullification.
I'm thinking I might have it turn off electricity in the area too so that they have to fight in the dark, since one of their opponents is a reptile woman who can see in the dark.
It's basically the equivalent to a boss fight. I'm not sure if I should go all Caleb on them and have them just stumble upon this fight.
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If the robot guy is nullified, figure out some aspect you can add to the situation so he can at least use his tech skills - a security alarm that needs to be disabled, a machine sucking all the air out of the room, etc, something he can be doing without his robot powers, maybe he can just barely still move? Don't just leave him completely and entirely helpless. That said, you warned him about the powers, and so long as this isn't something that happens every so often it seems like it'll be a cool boss fight.
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So I'm going to be stating a pair of twin martial artists that use one another for all there maneuvers and as such need to be close enough and conscious to work together.
Any suggestions for them(275 point characters)
Variable effect lets you change the useful but power qualities don't transfer so you must spend willpower on them.
But I was thinking about a custom extra like the book suggests
Varied
Blaster(6d)
Attacks, Go First 1, Penetration 1, Attack Level 1, Varied
Varied lets you change those extras so the blaster goes from having Go First 1 to having 2ranks of penetration.
I'm thinking is a +2-3 Extra, with a willpower cost for the shuffle which only lasts a number of rounds equal to the die pool
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Use augment: combat skills with if/then for the twin to just get more dice (Twin fight: A (augment+3 if/then must be with twin -1) 4/dice but you'll have to mess with dice pool totals to get the best use from it.
Confuse and dodge as a miracle D (Duration+2 interference+3, if/then must be with twin-1) 6/dice but gives you gobble dice for any attack at the two of them.
Fists everywhere (hyper skill base 1, Engulf +2 if/then must be with twin -1) 2/die of regular hyper skill
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If you tack on the range extra to hyperbrawl, does that give you range equal to your hyperdice or your total brawl+body pool?
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Just the dice in the skill itself.
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So I'm going to be stating a pair of twin martial artists that use one another for all there maneuvers and as such need to be close enough and conscious to work together.
Any suggestions for them(275 point characters)
Variable effect lets you change the useful but power qualities don't transfer so you must spend willpower on them.
But I was thinking about a custom extra like the book suggests
Varied
Blaster(6d)
Attacks, Go First 1, Penetration 1, Attack Level 1, Varied
Varied lets you change those extras so the blaster goes from having Go First 1 to having 2ranks of penetration.
I'm thinking is a +2-3 Extra, with a willpower cost for the shuffle which only lasts a number of rounds equal to the die pool
One of my players has a Blaster that has either Penetration or Spray.
I had him throw on an if/then can only use Penetration or Spray with any give turn.
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Yes but I was thinking for full conversion
So
Rapid Fire
Spray 2, Attack Level 1 so it hurts and hits all over
Armor-Piercing
Penetration 2, Attack Level 1
Hollow Point
Attack Level 3
But that version could also work apply extra pair of extra with If/then only one active at a time
apply to 3 extras and say only 2 at a time stuff like that
Ah good old evil me
@Journ; Like that put I went for more acrobatic twins so there hyper brawling is rapid flips kicks and other strikes so went with Speeding Bullet and Spray. As they roll and bounce off one another
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So I'm statting out a mage, they started with the premise that in this world, Indiana Jones was a documentary and archeologists have to be badasses if they go around poking into the resting places of magic civilizations. So came "Voice of the past" Helen Montoya, she read dodge at Cambridge and now that the heroes are gone, there's no one to say no to her holding on to a musty spellbook or two. She's got 91 points left over after buying the "super" permission and I'm not sure what to do, I don't like Cosmic Power and I'm not sold on making artifacts. What might be a good way to go with her?
If you tack on the range extra to hyperbrawl, does that give you range equal to your hyperdice or your total brawl+body pool?
You can add the extras and such onto normal skills by paying the cost. Or you can make a hyper skill "native" which seems like a good idea for one or two skills and kind of eases up the bookeeping.
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I know you said you don't like cosmic power but this is my take on it, flawed down to be less immediately useful. Also Power Permission "Power Theme Mage" would be appropriate for this. Or even better "One Power".
Spellbook 6/Die 7d3wd [114 pts]
Attacks [N/A] Defends [N/A] Useful [N/A]
Attacks Extras and Flaws: Duration +2, If/Then -1, If/Then -1, Variable Effect +4, Delayed Effect -2, Focus -1, Accessible -1, Operational Skill +0
Defends Extras and Flaws: Duration +2, If/Then -1, If/Then -1, Variable Effect +4, Delayed Effect -2 Focus -1, Accessible -1, Operational Skill +0
Useful Extras and Flaws: Duration +2, If/Then -1, If/Then -1, Variable Effect +4, Delayed Effect -2, Focus -1, Accessible -1, Operational Skill +0
Spellbook can be used to transfer dice from it's qualities to produce magical effects. There are 7 dice and 3 Wiggle dice to use for any number of effects that use the dice from this power.
He must spend each turn of the delayed effect studying his spellbook so he cannot activate the spellbook power and then do other things while waiting for the powers to manifest. He must study the spell book for the full time required for the powers to become available.
If/Then Wiggle Dice turn into regular dice when added to Stats or Skills
If/Then Must spend action reading every turn till powers manifest.
Operational Skill Knowledge Arcana
Technically you can drop another If/Than on each quality of "Only for Variable Effect"
Also buy a lot of base will to fuel extras.
SAMPLE POWERS
Magic Missle 3d1wd
Attacks Range
Extras and Flaws: Depleted -1, Go First +1
Magic Missle Barrage 7d3wd
Attacks[Range]
Extras and Flaws: Depleted -1, Go First +1
Mage Armor 2wd
Defends [Self]
Duration +2, One Use -4, Interference +3, Armored Defense -2, Go First +1
Fireball 4d3wd
Attack[Range]
Extras and Flaws: Radius +4, One Use -4, Burn +2, Obvious -1, Scattered Damage -1, Full Power Only -1, Reduced Capacities -1, Area +2
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I kind of like that idea. Quick question, with Cosmic Power, when you transfer dice they are "gone" as long as the power is in effect? Also how would depleted and one use work with this power?
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The transfered dice leave the focus and turn into other abilities for as long as "duration".
During that time they can only be used to produce the "prepared" spell.
Powers with Depleted and One Use are just what they seem. Once they run out of charges the power becomes unuseable. At which point you transfer the useless dice back to the Spellbook and have to prepare new spells.
As such you can produce a feeling of encounter/daily spells or spells per day.
Plus there are plenty of ways to limit the way players use it. As it stands they technically create any effect they want but you can always require that they spend time developing new spells or learning them from books. The spells learned from books could have preset willpower costs associated because that is how the mage built them and designed them. If the player wanted to alter that they would need to put in time to balance the magical energies through research and spell crafting.
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Hmmmm, I think I'll be a bit lame and just keep stealing from The Question since I've already got her last name, I'm thinking I'll give her the gadget power from a focus, an alchemical tome taken from a dig and a power to "talk" to cities.
The power is a Useful with some limits for getting information by bargaining with the city. I'm thinking about tacking on some minor alterations as a second Useful where she can ask the city to rearrange itself (in small ways) such as covering a doorway or helping to conceal her. The power has the if/then for must be a place where people live and willpower bid (because she has to have some to bargain with).
I think I'll throw Cosmic Power at some kind of math-nerd wizard.
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Hi guys, new to the forum. Had a rules question regarding an exploit.
Just to clarity... Say a player buys one regular die in this new brawl hyperskill called "snake bite". It costs something like 30ish points. Instead of buying points in this skill at 30 a pop, he just buys one die and then buys a bunch of hyper body at 4 a pop to raise the attack pool?
Someone mentioned that this doesn't work earlier but can I know where in the book it talks about this. Seems very unbalanced if you can do this, yet there isn't mention of the rule exception found in the book.
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It'd work by the rules. It would not stack with his normal brawl skill unless you pay for all the extras on top of the normal dice cost for normal skills.
Then again, as a GM I'd just tell the player "No." Wild Talents is fiddily and all about trust, if a player is trying to abuse that, then, no.
To add a bit more, there are, from a tactical viewpoint, plenty of ways to fight such a person, hand to hand just isn't it. So even if someone has a super powerful skill for hand to hand, they can still be dealt with by other supers.
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Not really a question, but this seems like the universal WT thread.
A guy on the Cult of ORE posted some homebrewed revisions in what he calls WT 2.5.
Cult of ORE Entry (https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/cult-of-ore/PbGMYoe2ggk)
Wild Talents 2.5 Document (WIP) (https://trello.com/board/fan-made-wild-talents-2-5e/50fe1113383685367300137b)
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I perused.
I don't much like what I read.
It works for a house rule setup but I like the current ruleset.
I especially took issue with the Unbreakable Claws and Hyperbody changes.
I'll have to read over it and see if there is anything I want to implement.
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it took me long enough to learn WT as it is, not gonna re-learn the damn system again
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Yeah, the system is kind of maddening. Mostly the revisions do things like simplify Augment and Variable (which are both extras I dislike because they both just kinda fall into GM discretion).
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My favorite part of this game is that it plays advocate for the GM almost constantly.
As far as WT questions go though.
What do you guys think the most effective way to make a breath weapon for a Dragon?
Attacks Obviously...
Area seems close to what I want but I want it to be in a cone in front of the dragon.
Burn also seems obvious.
I was thinking I'd just throw the Area extra on a few times then throw in an if then that defines the area as a cone instead of a blast radius around the target.
If you guys have an easier way I'm all ears.
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dwaggin breath:
Transform into [dead/poisoned/blinded/animal/lobstrosity/peacenik]
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Does anyone know if there is a specfic rule prohibiting turning regular hyperdice/miracle dice into hard or wiggle dice?
Or can you just pay the difference in XP to change that RD to a WD?
So a power that was 6d1wd becomes 5d2wd for the cost of the difference between a regular die and a wiggle die?
I don't think it is touched on much in the book and I can't think of any immediate balance problems with upgrading in this manner.
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You got it, pay the difference.
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Just making sure I'm reading this right: If I have a 3hd defends power with interference and endless, does that get applied to /all/ sets rolled against me? For instance if someone attacks with 3 sets: 2x5, 3x7, 4x8, then all of them get gobbled?
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Yep. Persistant defenses apply their effective roll against all attacking sets.
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So after many leaps. Hurdles, and other physical and emotional damage(I actually had to wrestle a player.... good god that is something I'll need to write about and explain)
My group finally got a consensius after 2 sessions of Little Fears.
We would do Wild Talents
So that leads me to this.
Over the next two weeks or so(give or take a few days). We will be talking and building characters. For each of them, they are starting as 250 point characters and all the stuff I'm including for each player they do not need start out with it. So I came here looking for help with those things which may be really complicated or could it be done better.
If you must know its a Iron Age era I'm using for a basis on what the players should suspect. And its set in 2002.
So here is what I got so far
Player #1; Lets call him G, here is what he has given me
What He Wrote
[spoiler]His name is David Jackson, he was an archeologist that was always in high spirits, but one day he was caved in while exploring an ancient underground Japanese temple. Deciding to look for an alternate route he explored the temple and found a mysterious medallion, upon touching it he heard a voice a voice that offered him power in exchange for a favor. Unable to refuse he felt his body change into that of a large beast. Opting to use this gift to it's fullest he and the spirit united to do good.
He was Dating a girl named Marian Freeman but she's going to school in France so they're taking time apart. Two of his mates are Samson Raleigh and Al O'Riley
He was taking martial arts for fun and had to leave his apartment to go to Japan for his exhibition.
Ever since he has been keeping up his archeological studies and reports while using the spirit's powers in addition to two handguns and a katana to fight crime under the alias of "Shroud." Wearing a black stetson, tattered black cloak and some bulletproof gear, using the spirits shadow powers to obscure his identity.
He got the powers three and a half months ago
The spirit explained that multiple Samurai had harnessed his powers, they were able to use his strengh to a much greater extent and in different forms but only because they had a stronger body and that David would have to train and practice to reach such levels.
He is 39 years old.
David was stunned and confused but soon moved past it, he occasionally ponders it but doesn't get too overly concerned. When David told the Spirit it barely batted its tail at it.
David in his Shroud attire resembles more of a cowboy with a huge tattered cloak than a samurai. The Spirit in its first form resembles a large black lizard with long tendrils where wings could be, large blood red eyes, large white claws and a curved blade on its tail
The Beast of Rage is fast, can teleport and is able to reflect elemental attacks, obviously his claws and tail-scythe deal wicked damage.
The Noble Nightmare resembles a human wearing noble-looking purple garb he has massive black wings and carries a massive blue sword. He can fly, is an expert at swordplay, is telekinetic, telepathic and can command fire.
The Embodiment of Despair is a huge white werewolf with 6 huge feathered wings that wears black robes from the waist down, and has armor on his right arm. He can fly, command the elements with ease, is a brutal melee fighter, his body is nearly indestructible, is telepathic to a high degree, and is telekinetic.[/spoiler]
What I Got From It/The Important things for making the characters stats
[spoiler]39 Years of age so starting to get older. Physically probably average because the previous users were noted as better with their body
Archaeologist, with knowledge of Japan and France so some dice in those languages
His girlfriend is younger and still in college, so charming or conniving
Picked up skill with sword, and handguns to fight crime
Even before that had some amount of training in a martial arts style
Some minor trinket powers, obscuring vision to hide his identity
He can Transform into 1 of three forms
They scale up in power
Beast of Rage
-fast(Higher coordination and body), can teleport(2 or more hd), reflect elemental attacks(defends + attacks with spray only against elements), obviously his claws and tail-scythe deal wicked damage(increased brawling damage).
Noble Nightmare
-Massive black wings(Custom Hit Locations) and carries a massive blue sword(A focus that appears well in this form). He can fly, is an expert at swordplay(more dice in sword play probably some wiggle dice), is telekinetic(2hd), telepathic(2hd) and can command fire(move it and probably make it attack).
Embodiment of Despair
-6 huge feathered wings(Custom Hit Locations), He can fly, command the elements with ease(Elemental Control 1 at a time), is a brutal melee fighter(up body), his body is nearly indestructible(HAR, MAR, and LAR at 2HD), is telepathic to a high degree(better Telepathy), and is telekinetic(more weight probably not greater range)
[/spoiler]
So how can I do this and what can he get to start out with.
He is fine with only starting with 1 of the forms.
But is there a way to start with all of them.
They are all tied to a magical amulet that is the only one he has
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And I thought two power sources for Pretty Soldier was complex.
You've got Alternate form (ADU) for 18 points, give it focus -1 accessible -1 lastly say if/then one of three pre-set forms -1 which brings it down to 9/dice. Use these dice for uppind body etc. If you want to go balls out, add on irreplacable for another -2 and it's only 3/dice. Don't lose it. Jack this with hard dice and add them to stats.
(Note, accesible is only for this power as I assume it's hard to find when he's changed)
I think it's easier to build each form on its' own. Which is okay because you can hook each power to Alternate form for a sweet -2.
Don't have time to work everything out but some thoughts:
For beast, mostly simple, claws/tail can be brawl, give it spray for free extra attacks and some other goodies.
As for the elemental thingy, are these the Greek elements? The Chinese ones? Either way, maybe
Reflect elements AD,
D: endless +3 attached (form) -1 focus -1 (3)
A: Spray +1, endless +3 attached(D) -2 focus -1 (3)
Which will make it automatic at 6/dice
Nightmare: Control fire is more or less easily from the book, it's 6/dice base and once it's attached and focused it's almost free. Same for telekinetic and telepathic. You might want to drop one or two of the qualities from those if you need to skimp on points.
For the sword, hyperskill but not sure how to make the sword appear, maybe make it a harm power with the mass capacity, which isn't hyperskill but can be tricked out (remember it's cheaper after attached and focus, if you take irreplacable it's -3/dice from the get go so you'll have to add at least four levels of goodies (go first and attack levels?) to make it 1/dice.
Custom is already as is but the flaws will make it cheap.
Despair:
For elemental control take the control element and add variable effect(+4) with if/then only for X elements (-1) which makes it 15/dice, after flaws it's 6/dice or 1/dice if irreplacable. Really, watch out for pickpockets.
As for the L/M/HAR, just go with invulnerability which goes from the book's 20/dice to 11/dice after flaws and 5/dice if irreplacable.
Top it off with regeneration (2/dice or 1/dice if irreplacable).
Flight is standard, remember duration.
For the TK, just don't add the high capacity and put most of the dice in mass when you use it.
Top it off with some hyper brawl?
So there you go, kind of cheap or really cheap if irreplacable, if it is, have it implanted in his chest cavity because he will not want to lose it.
How's this?
Also, I'm going to punch myself for munchkining it that hard.
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Thanks and it was Japanese, because the spirit was used by Samurai.
No no that is fine to munchkin it.
And its great, I'll figure out his other stuff and see what forms he can get.
The amulet is irreplaceable its the only one he has, he does not know how to get another, make another or anything really
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So things went well with the alternate forms I figure it out.
Despair can only control one element at a time decided after it transforms and it can only use that element, until it switches out(Limited to Earth, Metal, Air, Water, Fire)
Its a good all around character.
The Amulet is not accessible as it is latched into the guy wearing it. That is how the player wanted it. So he wears a necklace of gold constantly which holds a powerful spirit inside
Any suggestions for a alien similar to Star-Fire from the Teen Titans
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She's more or less FISS/superman lite right? I think you can add "No will no way" to her powers and give her an allergy? Did she have one? (I don't remember too much from the old comics. I only remember some of the pictures from the new comics and found them less than inspiring).
I recall she has:
Source: Alien, super
Flight (It's costly but if you put Endless on D it's free avoid rolls forever) She'd need a few levels of booster (speed) on this since I kind of remember her flying off to space and that's not easy.)
(She's okay in space, may need some kind of immunity to deal with that? Attach it to flight?)
Shoots beams (Harm: range, may be locational to her arms? I kind of remember all of her glowing so might be obvious?)
I don't remember if she has better senses but ought to.
Does she absorb energy? Totally don't remember.
Hyper stats*
Heavy Armor* (I think? I don't remember her shrugging off gunfire but it seems like something she'd do. Not a lot of it but 3-5 points, so just under a tank.)
*You can add obvious to these since she's a funny color but not different looking enough for inhuman.
Is this right? I think she's going to come out similar to Interceptor. I'll take a look at scrapping her together but she'll be a lot simpler to make.
Also, question about large dice pools: say I have a pool of 7d+3hd+2wd, I can only use 10 of these but do the hd go away first or can I choose which two dice go away?
Also question is there a "go first" power? I've seen it in Grim War but they don't show their math and making it with augment is a waste of points, in that you can litteraly add the extra to all your stats and miracles for less than an augment power.
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How would you guys recommend building a character who is made of water?
Globular i'm sure, and I'd say extra tough.
I want the character to be difficult to damage but intangibility doesn't mesh with what I have in mind.
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You could use the Medium Armor variant. You add "If/Then: Medium Armor" to Hard Armor. Medium Armor doesn't break sets, it's absorbs damage directly so a Width 2 attack would hit someone with MAR 2 but it won't damage it because the armor would absorb the 2 points of damage. If someone hit MAR 2 with a Width+1 attack, 1 point of damage would bleed through the armor.
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I feel like Penetration shouldn't help bypass this specific kind of armor however. Is it possible to take the Medium Armor flaw without the "Armored Defense" flaw on top?
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Yeah, you add the "Hardened Armor" extra to it. That makes Penetration not work anymore; it basically negates the discount of "Armored Defense" while still making the power an armor and not gooble dice.
You'd want to make it Permanant + Always On and Native if it's his default form.
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Ah yes perfect! I had forgotten Hardened Armor.
Thanks a ton. If I make it a transformation power does that mean that the Intrinsic Globular would get the "Attached" discount? Or would the power be a useful quality that makes him Globular?
EDIT: I guess at that point it would be Custom Hit Locations only choosing one location.
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Regeneration when he can pour more water (liquid) into himself?
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Yeah the hd go away first still
Regeneration
Duration, If/Then(Duration reset after absorbing X gallons of water)
Or
If/Then in Dry environment/without the required liquid levels unable to regenerate
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Ah, so large pools are a penalty?
Also, it's mostly cosmetic but you can take intangibility with only the defends quality and point wise it's the same as armor but more of things passing through you. If you're short on points you can if/then it to not work on electricity or fire or koi based attacks etc (may be fewer than one if/then for each).
Intrinsics don't get extras/flaws as far as I can tell.
You can also add depleted to some powers that require you to soak up water to replace lost mass.
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Large pools with hard dice are in fact a penalty
Changing those hard dice over to wiggles is suggested
Also
Koi based attacks, huh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DopGxUAoAY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DopGxUAoAY)
Never thought that would come in handy
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So here is my group for my upcoming Wild Talents game stat wise.
I have the stats for 4 out of the total 7 players. 2 of which may not be joining/making there characters the night of the first session
Since most have not given me there characters name's I'll use a letter for each player.
And brief once over on each characters background for ideas etc.
J
[spoiler]A mechanic. Who one day had a very small, very fast, and very invisible alien spaceship collide with his home
Source(Alien); Permissions; Power Theme(Zephyr Biology[The aliens blood mixed with his!], One Power(The shock did something and now he can control electronics/mechanic things)
Body(2d); Athletics(3d), Brawling(1d), Endurance(3d)
Coordination(2d); Driving Ground-craft(3d), Lockpicking(3d), Rifle(1d)
Sense(3d + 1d); Empathy(2d + 1d), Perception(1d), Scrutiny(3d + 1d)
Mind(3d + 2d); First Aid(1d), Research(2d), Security Systems(2d), Streetwise(1d), Mechanics(4d), Electronics(3d), Spanish(1d)
Charm(2d); Lie(2d)
Commnad(3d + 1d); Stability(3d + 1d)
Power
Machine CONTROL!!(5d +1wd)
Attacks, Spray, Limited Damage(By the technology used, Car Killing, electrical wire shock)
Defends, Spray, If/Then(Need a machine to take the attack)
Useful(Control Machines/Electronics) Booster +1, Duration, Spray
Total Cost 72
All in all not that bad. He can provide some offense and defense but he's pretty soft, which is made up for by the fact he can stop anything that is a mundane piece of tech with electronics
[/spoiler]
Z
[spoiler]A thief he stole things earlier in his life. Up until after the disappearance of all the hero's he broke into a scientists lab and got his arm replaced with a cybernetic attachment filled with nanites. Only problem is he killed the scientist.
He also has a 8 year old daughter and seeks redemption for his mistake.
He plans to recreate the arm for the betterment of man kind. He works at the local college
Sources; Cyborg, Technology
Permission; Power Theme(Nanite Controlled Cyber-arm)
Body(4d); Athletics(3d + 1d)
Coordination(5d); Driving Ground-craft(2d), Lock-picking(1d), Stealth(1d), Pistol(2d)
Sense(2d); Empathy(1d)
Mind(3d); Security Systems(3d), Cyber-ware(2d)
Charm(2d); Lie(3d)
Command(2d); Stability(2d)
Powers
Cyberarm-Nanites(4d +2wd)
Attacks, Focus, Attack Level +1, Penetration +1, Spray +1
Useful(Mimic Technology Abilities), Tough Only -2, Focus, Variable, If/Then(Only mundane technology), Endless[So it can access any technology it has integrated later]
Total Cost; 108 points
Cyber-Armor(2hd)
Defends, Interference, Tied to R Arm Only[The HAR is only attached to his right arm] -2, Armored Defense, Indestructible, Focus, Manufacturable
Total Cost; 16
A secondary tech guy but all around better thief. His arms combat ability also makes it a more viable ability especially with the advent that the arms attacks are ranged
[/spoiler]
D
[spoiler]A college sophomore. He and his friend got a thing of super soldier serums and found they could mix in animal DNA for additional effects.
Well the friends selected out there animal samples, D worked hard setting everything up. Then got the samples and did the work as the biology expert. But D messed up and got some of the DNA from other peoples animals into his vial. Specifically all the females. The formula notes for males to note use female animals for the DNA.
So after 36 hours, D woke up and found he is now a she.
Body(3d); Athletics(2d), Brawling(2d)
Coordination(4d); Dodge(1d), Driving Ground-craft(1d)
Sense(2d + 1wd); Empathy(2d), Perception(1d), Scrutiny(1d)
Mind(4d); First Aid(1d), Streetwise(1d), Biology(2d), Chemistry(1d)
Charm(3d); Lie(2d), Persuasion(3d)
Command(1d); Intimidation(1d), Stability(2d)
Powers
Exoskeleton(3hd)
Defends, Armored Defense, Permanent, Always On, Subtle
Total Cost; 24
Gecko Pads(2hd)
Useful(Cling to things), Duration, If/Then(Needs all 4 limbs without shock[so any limb is down and half speed with pads and 2 limbs gone no gecko crawling), Automatic(The pads immediately activate, when they can clinging D to the wall)
Total Cost; 6
Bat Wings(3d + 2hd)
Useful(Flight), Duration, Slow, -1 For needing her arms to fly(Muscle, skin, and nerves of the wings are connected to her arms so they go she goes)
Total Cost; 8
Spinnerette Barbs(3d + 1wd)
Hyperskill Brawl, Penetration +1, Deadly +1, Spray +1, If/Then
Attacks(Poison), Attached(Hyperskill Brawl), Engulf, Traumatic, Duration, Depleted, Limited Damage(Shock), Touch Only, Full Power Only, Non-Physical
Useful(Webbing), Daze, If/Then
Total Cost; 49
So she can fly, crawl, and can take a beating.
She can also sprout a pair of large barbs which can inject a powerful toxin hope you can beat his width otherwise hope you can last cause 2 rounds your down.
The webbing and hyper brawl can't be used at the same time as the barbs need to be inside her body. Yup the barbs are connected to her poison and webs[/spoiler]
G
[spoiler]The local colleges archaeologist professor
He went to Japan and found a ancient amulet which lets him talk to a powerful spirit
Body(3d)
Coordination(5d); Stealth(1d)
Sense(4d); Empathy(1d), Perception(1d), Scrutiny(1d)
Mind(4d); Archaeology(2d)
Charm(3d)
Command(2d); Stability(2d)
Powers
Spirit Form(3hd)
Useful(Change Form); Endless, Self Only, Focus
Useful(Extra Tough); Always On, Attached, Engulf, Permanent, Self Only, Focus
Useful(Custom Hit Locations); Attached, Permanent, Self Only, Focus
Spirits Armor(2hd)
Defends; Armored Defense, Endless, Interference, Attached, If/Then
Defends; Armored Defense, Endless, Attached, If/Then
(I believe the If/Then was to magical attacks)
Beast of Rage(2d + 1wd)
Hyper Body; Attack Level +1, Attached, Spray +1, Focus
Hyper Coordination; Attached, Focus, Spray +1
Useful(Teleport); Attached, Focus, No Physics, Booster +1, Mass
Noble Nightmare(3hd)
Flight; Duration, Focus, Attached
Defends; Focus, Duration, Attached
Hyper-skill Sword; Attack Level +2, Go First +1, Penetration +2, Focus -1, Attached
Useful(Telepathy); Booster +1, Focus, Attached
Embodiment of Despair(2d + 1wd)
Attacks(mass, range), Engulf, Focus, Attached
Useful(Telekinesis[Mass 7 Range]); Focus, Attached, Booster +1
Useful(Control 1 Element decided upon when this form is taken each time[Mass & Range]); Focus, Attached, Booster +1
Flight; Endless, Focus, Attached
All the forms have a If/Then that if he uses the Spirit Forms power he changes back to a person at 3x10, and takes the new form at 2x10
Which means between those 2 areas. He has no powers or defenses.
Nightmare is probably the most dangerous form but they act as a sliding scale so constantly using that is not good for ones mental sanity.
I'm thinking of making him have to get each form as 6d
[/spoiler]
So any suggestions for their characters/builds that I can pass on.
Anything that is glaringly overpowered and or dangerous to my campaign set in a world were all the hero's just stopped being there one day.
Its New Arcadia but there is no event simply the hero's were doing there thing. And then, just like that they all vanished. No smoke, no flashes, no nothing.
The major goods, the evils, the anything really with power of any noticeable level
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I'm not sure how you got to some of those numbers.
For Z, the source ought to be cyborg only.
In a few cases (Gecko feet and maybe bat wings) you might want to do them as locational with a -2 instead of -1 since she needs two or three limbs to move. (the if/then about uninjured seems kind of odd as it's a huge cost)
I also do not know how an exoskeleton is subtle.
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Thanks that helps I'll pass it along
He picked up Technology because he plans or plans to buy the ability to make himself either a thing of power armor or a energy shield. If your talking point wise yeah that puts him 5 points above the others
Noted I'll tell that to D's player. I was ok with how it was.
-2 on the Wings and Gecko Pads.
The exoskeleton is a little darker then his old skin colour, and is smooth, without any obvious joints. Its almost like she is wearing a form fitting cat-suit that is also her skin
So unless someone walks up to her and rubs her and realizes that huh, she has no hair except on her head and her body is smooth and cool to the touch. I'm personally fine with it cause that means its a bit more awesome when she gets shot for 3 shock(Instead of 2killing and 2shock) to the face and keeps walking at her target
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How would you build something like modular armor as a power? Like if, say, a character had hardened armor plating on their left and right arms but nowhere else? I'm guessing it would be the Heavy Armor power with some variety of If/Then (Does not protect Head, Legs, Body). How much would you estimate the cost would be reduced?
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I'd say that's a -2 flaw.
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Also, Manufacturable is an odd choice for the cyber armor but nothing else as it's for gadgeteers and people playing the long game about making cyber arms common.
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That is one of his goals.
Take the cyber-arm and make it massively available to the public.
Also I Technology represents power armor which he may pick up later.
I agree with Holyeskimo, and I'm wondering if I should make the player whose Hard Armor only protects his right arm a -3penalty
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I think you could drop the Cyborg permission then.
It can already by covered by the Technological permission.
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He decided to drop Technological, and said his guy probably is not smart enough to figure out how to actually do that.
Makes sense with his 3 Mind. To the Parties average of Mind 4, with the Mind 5 Mechanic as the smartest
So he's just a cyborg who is going to slowly tinker and upgrade his arm
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Pretty much you don't need another permission to make gadgets, just buying the Gadgeteer thing and then make your creations match your permisssion, genetic might excrete things, magic makes things from the Pathfinder book, cyborg can make stuff with their cyber-parts or connect to things or whatever.
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I've never had a single player consider gadgets.
Or anyone being the real brains of the group. Even the 5 Mind Mechanic, who without his powers is only Mind 3.
Good News Everyone!
Got another person into the group.
Playing a Electro-kinetic
Tried a Serum to give her powers boosted her nervous system and as everything settled over the next month she started being able to absorb energy from things, heal wounds, create a electrical blast, channel energy through her fist.
(Stats maybe up later, for suggestions)
The cost of all this power is that mental stress and the ability to process information became harder(Average Command & Mind), for hyper reflexes, & senses.
Sorry things.
So the last player to the group will be either
a person in power armor.
Think Aaron + Thad; back at street level
or
Part Atlantian/Lemurian, with a pair of energy projectors, that can form a ranged(melee) weapon, or defensive wall
Think Caleb[Focus] + That detective David was for 1 session
So yeah any suggestions for either of those?
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Here's my stat-out for Pretty Soldier which I offer because I am helpful and not because I want people to give my work a lookover:
Jessica Runner, Pretty Soldier
23 year old IT worker
Stats (75 pts)
Body 2d [4d] Mind 4d(+2hd)
Coordination 2d [3d] Charm 2d
Sense 2d(3d) Command 3d
Base Will 5 Willpower
Loyalty: Little brother and other victims of paralysis: 1
Passion: Love and Justice: 2 Staying human: 2
Skills (40pts)
Body 2d [4d] Mind 4d(+2hd) Command 3d
Athletics 1d First Aid Interrogate
Blocking Knowledge [alien robotics] 2d (3d) Intimidate
Knowledge [computer use] 3d
Knowledge [nanoscience] 2d (3d)
Brawl 1d Language Leadership
Endurance Medicine Stability (4d)
Melee Navigation 1d
Research 2d
Coordination 2d(3d)
Dodge (3d) Security System 1d
Driving Survival
Stealth 1d Tactics
Ranged
Sense 2d(3d) Charm 2d
Empathy (1d) Lie
Perception 2d(4d) Performance
Scrutiny 2d Persuasion 2d
(115)
Powers (7pts)
Cybernetics (free, power theme: mind enhancing computer linked to suit tech: 5)
Tech (5, Theme: suit 5, Foci: -8, Operating Skill +0) 2
122
Hyperstats (29)
Head Computer
Mind +2hd (16)
Sense +1d (4)
Suit:
Body +2d (focus-1) (6)
Coordination +1d (focus-1) (3)
151
Skills (head computer) (12)
Perception 2d(2) Dodge 3d(3) Alien robotics 1d(1) Nanoscience 1d(1) Stability 4d(4) Empathy 1d(1)
163
Head Computer (U, wireless signal: capacity range duration +2) 4/dice (allows her to access computers and use her computer skill on them, also to remote fly her power suit.)
2hd (16)
179
Suit Powers
Armor:
Heavy Armor (6 focus-1: 5/10/20) (20)
2hd
199
Multi Blaster AA
A: Plasma Blaster (harm: 2: focus-1 locational: right arm-1 obvious-1 if/then same as plasma lance -1 spray+3) (1)
A: Plasma Lance (harm:2: focus-1 locational: right arm-1 if/then same as blaster-1 obvious-1 penetration+1 booster: range+1 attack level+1) 2/4/8
3d+2hd+1wd (22)
Blaster:3d+2hd+1wd Spray: 3d WSK
Lance:3d+2hd+1wd W+1SK P2 range 1600 yards
221
Flight (U: 2 Duration +2 Focus-1 Obvious-1 booster: speed (U) +1): 3/6/12
1d+1wd (15) (50mph)
236
Pilot and Suit repair systems (Regenerate Suit and pilot (6) Depleted-1 Focus-1 Slow-2 Go last-1) (must be fed metal and meat, repairs her and the armor): 1
2hd (4)
240
Multi-Spectrum Adaptive Sensors (U: 3/6/12die)
focus-1 if/then only for variable effect-1 if/then variable effect is only for sensors-1 variable effect+4)
An array of sensors: light enhancement, telescopic zooming, infrared, ultraviolet, thermal sight, sound enhancement, gas analysis, and so on. By examining metabolic processes they can even tell when someone is lying. (The lie-detector function is a contest with the other character’s Lie skill)
2d (6)
246
Energy Blade (hyper melee: 1 focus -1, locational: left arm -1, penetration +2) 1/2/4
1wd (4)
250
She's ment to be kind of unsure but strong inside. Her themes are still being human what with part of her brain replaced by a nano-computer and her suit rebuilding her body out of leftovers when she gets injured.
Numbers in () are with her hyper dice and [] are in her armor.
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Ok um
Its a really good build and all that stuff for themes
I may use this at another date but right now she's going more really strong and powerful in her suit and has no well energy weaponry
(Invulnerability on the Suit)
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Invulnerability is 20 (DDU) so focusing it makes it 17(34h).
If you take out the Energy gun, energy blade and armor you get 46 points. If you take out the cybernetic theme and head computer stuff you get 20 points back from stats, 12 from skills and 16 from the computer and 4 from the repair system you have 98 points back 68 of those go to 2hd of invulnerability and 30 to spend on other stats and combat ability.
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Buy the immunity seperately. Useful variable effect self only if then only for power armor immunities 2hd
Edited for more Detail:
Power Armor Immunities 3/die 2hd [12 pts]
Useful[Self]
Extras and Flaws: Variable Effect +4, Endless +3, If/Then (Variable Effect Is Only for new immunities) -1, Focus -1, Bulky -1, Self Only -3
Effect: Immunity to extreme Temperature and Pressure. Sustains the wearer without Oxygen.(Add Depleted and come up with a time limit with the GM if you want the oxygen to run out). With Variable Effect the immunity can be applied to anything that the game master feels the suit would protect you against, make a specific request to set a precedence in situations that it could conceivably protect you.
That way you don't have to buy extra immunity when you want more armor. I would recommend upping the hard dice or adding extra useful levels so that you don't lose your power while you need it most. Either way this is a good starting point for a 250 pt character.
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I went back over an old character concept I build while I was still learning the system, and I think I managed to rebuild him in a way that more accurately conveys my vision for him as a character.
So here he is for you you enjoy and scrutinize.
93
Globular [8 pts]
Power Theme (Shapeshifter) 5
Power Permission Genetic
Body 3d or 6d
Coordination 2d or 5d
Sense 3d or 6d
Mind 3d
Charm 3d
Command 2d
Base Will 6 [3 pts]
Passions and Loyalties: Helping people put their lives back together[3], Aiding those with genetic defects[3]
Skills 82 pts
Athletics 2d
Brawling 2d
Endurance 3d
Dodge 3d
Driving Car 3d
Stealth 3d
Empathy 2d
Perception 3d
Scrutiny 2d
Knowledge Biology 3d
Research 3d
Security Systems 3d
Survival 2d
Lie 3d
Persusion 2d
Stability 2d
Powers 72
Dead Ringer 3/die 2hd [12 pts]
Useful[Self]
Duration +2, If/Then(Variable Effect Only for choosing different appearences) -1, Variable Effect +4, Self Only -3, If/Then(Must have had skin to skin contact with the person being emulated) -1
Combat Mode 1/die 4hd [8 pts]
Useful[Self]
Duration +2, Self Only -3
Gains 4 extra hit boxes.
Chitin Armor 2/die 3hd [12 pts]
Defends[Self] Defends+1[Self]
Duration +2, Interference +3, Armored Defense -2, Attached -2
Duration +2 Armored Defense -2, Attached -2
3 Hard Armor and 4 Light Armor
Regeneration 1/die 2hd [4pts]
Useful[Self]
Duration +2, Self Only -3
Hyper Body 3d [6 pts]
Hyper Coordination 3d [6 pts]
Hyper Sense 3d [6 pts]
Blade Arm Hammer Fist 2/die 5d1wd [18 pts]
Attacks+1[Touch] Attacks[Mass]
Blade Arm: Attached -2, Touch Only -2, Limited Damage (Killing) -1, Penetration +3
Hammer Fist: Attached -2, Limited Damage (Shock) -2, Penetration +3
Either attacks with a bladed ligament that deals width +1 Killing damage with penetration 3. Or, does Width in Shock damage and knockback, also with penetration 3.
In case it isn't apparent all the "Attached" powers are Attached to the Combat Form ability. He gains bonus hit boxes can use his special attacks and he gains armor while in his combat form. He is globular in either form but maintains a humanoid shape over all. Basically he shifts his internal chemisty around constantly which is why all the damage goes to one solid hit location.
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So he shifts into an armored alien murder bug? That seems to make sense though globular seems like an odd choice, not sure if hit boxes get rearranged by shifting or not though.
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I think it represents that his nervous system along with limbs are superficial.
For those that have helped with ideas and things for my Wild Talents game that was going to be with my live group I thank you...
Now the bad news, my live group just collapsed because of the actions of 1 person in it, spewing all there bile about me without just trying to talk with me and it lead to a chain reaction, and now the lie group I had is no more.
So just wanted it out there.
Also
Speedster for those that want to play one. This is the best way I have found to play one
Coordination; 7 or more dice, maybe some go first attached to Coordination
Body; 3 or more dice, with Booster(s) and a If/Then only to running/jumping
Apply Spray and Go First to Hyper-brawl
Apply Spray to Hyper-Dodge and interference(Wiggle Die should do)
Sense; 4 or more dice, If/Then only for declaring actions(Should be a -2 because you can only use Sense for declaring so you get none of the other benefits of a higher sense[such as using it for Empathy])
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My friends and I are starting to reach a point similar to the one Ross described in the Bildungsroman episode: We're approaching 300 point characters and our skills haven't really improved to a particularly noticeable degree. The players of characters who are hypertrained are starting to ask the question "Why even buy regular skills? Even if they're more specific, Hyperskills are cheaper and I can by HD and WD in them."
It made me consider the point as well. If you're driven and hyper-trained in some kind of galaxy-boxing, then why put any points in brawling?
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Well you don't really.
Unless you've specified that Galaxy boxing is NOT a brawling hyperskill at which point you would buy it for the grapple stuff.
Really though I feel like the major limiting factor to hyper skills is to make sure they make sense.
Most stats can be bought as hyper skills but that doesn't make them powers it just means that the players power source makes it easier for them to raise that skill. Besides buying only hyper skills is generally going to be weaker than buying a miracle anyway.
Look at it this way.
Attacks Defends and Useful All with the Augment Extra 18/die [72 pts]
Gives you a wiggle die on any ability or power. If the power has extras you can still add the wiggle die by spending 4 will power.
Small price to pay to be guaranteed a success on just about any skill check. Not to mention you can flaw it down with a focus or if/then to limit it somehow.
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With hyperskills it depends. Unless you specify some kind of limitations to "Galaxy Boxing" that make it different from "Brawl" then, yeah, barring nullification powers there's no difference mechanically between them beyond cost. As for why, it's mostly story and not numbers. If you were a pizza maker before, you might have some dice in make pizza, but after you flip on your powers, if you have a wide enough permission than you can just buy only hyper skills from then on and be happy with the cheaper points.
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My friends and I are starting to reach a point similar to the one Ross described in the Bildungsroman episode: We're approaching 300 point characters and our skills haven't really improved to a particularly noticeable degree. The players of characters who are hypertrained are starting to ask the question "Why even buy regular skills? Even if they're more specific, Hyperskills are cheaper and I can by HD and WD in them."
It made me consider the point as well. If you're driven and hyper-trained in some kind of galaxy-boxing, then why put any points in brawling?
Because you can get hard and wiggle in normal dice
And knock out a arm
And you cripple a Boxer
A street brawler on the other hand
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Unless they took some kind of if/then on their brawling limiting it to only punch, I think it's still shorthand for hurting people with any body part you choose (any. body. part.)
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I've been reading Jojo's Bizarre Adventure lately, and decided to design some of the characters out of boredom
The powers are basically all linked to a 'sidekick' ability that would have a flaw that it shares the hitboxes as the power user.
In the manga only other people who have the same Type of power can see it (or hit it, but i might remove that quality), how much of a Plus do you think "Can only be seen by those with the same power source" should be?
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Stands are kind of a weird concept. If you want to make it a JoJo game than don't apply bonuses or flaws because everyone will be using Stands and it'll all cancel out.
If you want a Stand user in a conventional game, than you'll need to put Subtle on all of the character's Power Qualities to represent that the Stand can act without the user seeming to move.
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So...
Has anyone else noticed the distinct lack of drawbacks to just buying tons of defends levels instead of buying more hard dice in an armor power?
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Width for purpose of counter acting nullifier abilities is the only advantage if the defense is persistant. It's generally much more efficent to buy levels.
I will say that I tend to disallow players to have more than three levels of armor for balance purposes.
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So...
Has anyone else noticed the distinct lack of drawbacks to just buying tons of defends levels instead of buying more hard dice in an armor power?
Yes yes I have
His name is Tiberius, you will hate me come the next 5 sessions
But yeah its got a major broken quality.
Why I'm thinking of implementing a similar houserule or some other such idea
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Although, a fluctuating force field might be neat, say 1d+1wd with +3 defends levels, so each round it provides 5-width of armor but half the time lets attacks through.
-
has anyone found any superpowers that are difficult to simulate?
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Raise the dead:
U(2) permanent(+4) Touch only (-2) If/then only on dead things -1 3/dice.....? Or Self only so you keep coming back?
Not sure how you'd do an AI buddy, maybe dice in Mind/Charm/Empathy with an if/then for other mind.
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Raise Dead 5/die 2hd [20 pts]
Useful[Touch] Useful[Touch]
Extras and Flaws: Permanent +4, Always On(Can't revoke life once given) -1, Touch Only -2
Extras and Flaws: Attached -2, Automatic -1,
Raise a character from the dead, the second quality restores any damaged or removed body parts and heals the body till it is mostly intact. This effect is very powerful and requires the expenditure of willpower per the normal willpower rules.
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Thinking about it you don't need Permanent but might want Engulf.
Then after you make a manufacturable fragile bulky accessable focus it's pretty easy to make the world strange.
I'd slap Base Will Cost on it thogh.
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Unless you want the guy to drop dead again you need Permanent. It makes an effect last forever and lets it be used multiple times (see Minions power).
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I suppose what he is going for is once they are alive and the ability has healed them it might not be too far a stretch to say they would stay alive of their own accord.
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I thought Permanent means it goes off every round (such as regeneration vs heal).
The other thing is if it's Permanent I think that means it keeps happening next time they die, making them immortal until age catches up and they get locked into a constant cycle of:
Die from liver failure/cancer/stroke/age, be reborn, die from...
Also, does this work:
Dim Mak
Useful (2) Permanent (+4) Interference (+3) attached (unarmed combat -2) [touch only -2?] If/then only for healing (-1) 6/dice
After hitting, the dice become gobble dice against healing skils/miracles etc.
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It kinda means both. Permanent can also be used to make a change that affects the person permanently
You could give someone wings permanently for instance intead of just for a short time or just one round.
For defense powers Permanent means it is constantly active and therefore "rolled" every round.
Your miracle is actually rather elgently designed. A static interference power that hinders healing after someone has been damaged, the caveat being you can only make it so difficult to heal.
Basically you take some hard dice in your miracle and that is how many penalty dice the healing ability/skill takes on its check. The number isn't cumunaltive though so if you have 2hd in Dim Mak you only ever get 2 gobble dice from healing sets.
Come to think of it your miracle is a much more elegent way to accomplish a reduced healing effect.
I would do
Dim Mak 3/die 3hd [18 pts]
Useful[Touch]
Endless +3, Interference +3, Attached(Brawling) -2, Touch Only -2, If/Then(Only Interferes with Healing) -1
Any time a character tries to heal someone affected by this power, the power provides a static 3x10 set of gobble dice to any sets they make.
Then with endless you can do the kung fu movie monk style "release" where you exert your own will to turn the power off and allow someone to heal if you want.
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Ok, so this is going to sound completely stupid so please forgive me, my friends and I are just learning the system for a game I want to run and having trouble figuring out the cost of Hard and wiggle dice in conjunction with powers given to you in the book. Does it double up based on the powers cost? like say invisibility is 5 points per dice right? would it then be 10 points for Hard dice in that power or 20 point for wiggle dice? or say immunity to some thing is worth 3 points per dice, would it then be 6 point for hard dice and then 12 points per wiggle dice.
It's probably in the book somewhere but I'm just not seeing it.
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Ok, so this is going to sound completely stupid so please forgive me, my friends and I are just learning the system for a game I want to run and having trouble figuring out the cost of Hard and wiggle dice in conjunction with powers given to you in the book. Does it double up based on the powers cost? like say invisibility is 5 points per dice right? would it then be 10 points for Hard dice in that power or 20 point for wiggle dice? or say immunity to some thing is worth 3 points per dice, would it then be 6 point for hard dice and then 12 points per wiggle dice.
It's probably in the book somewhere but I'm just not seeing it.
Basically yes.
After you calculate the cost of the power.
Or take the base cost from the book.
That is the cost for a regular die.
So a HD is double the regular die cost and a WD is 4 times the cost of a regular die.
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Yup why tom had to spend 8 points for each Hard Die on his Body that he wanted to change into a wiggle die.(A total of 16points)
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Do you let players split large Width rolls?
This came up just recently. If a player has, let's say, a roll of 8x4 (4 eights) could they choose to treat that as 2 sets of 8x2 (two different sets with 2 eights each).
I've considered this before but never had it actually come up with a player before so I thought I'd put it out there.
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I think at 4 or larger you can split rolls.
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Its perfectly reasonable if they were splitting actions, or have spray
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It is important to note that with characters who have transformation powers you should be careful with this.
Might be kinda shooting myself in the foot with this one but if I want to use a 6hd transform power and dodge in the same round I can have a 3x10 transform set and a 2x10 dodge set.
I had this come up in a campaign where someone wanted to transform and punch someone and had a 5hd power. 2hd to transform and 2 shock and killing to the head.
Obviously faster enemies helps this alot but it's something to keep in mind.
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It is important to note that with characters who have transformation powers you should be careful with this.
Might be kinda shooting myself in the foot with this one but if I want to use a 6hd transform power and dodge in the same round I can have a 3x10 transform set and a 2x10 dodge set.
I had this come up in a campaign where someone wanted to transform and punch someone and had a 5hd power. 2hd to transform and 2 shock and killing to the head.
Obviously faster enemies helps this alot but it's something to keep in mind.
Yup.
Also note for transformation people
If the power has Duration it needs to be tagged active but automatically goes on for the rest of the scene(or length of transformation)
Endless stuff is well just that at the next round whatever the regeneration speed etc it activates.
only Permanent instantly goes up with the activation of the power
You can split sets up of larger width though I don't know why you wouldn't want to do 4x10 Shock & Killing to the head
Speaking of which Wild Talents.
Flawless_P since your in this game don't read this
[spoiler]Your hunting down a guy who has shown the following powers
Super Strength(6d+2hd Body)
Armor that reduces damage(MAR), and is resistant to armor penetrating rounds(hardened)
rapidly heals but takes a minute to kick on(regenerates)
can take a huge beating(extra tough)
You have a gang of thugs and following gear.
10 guys who can shoot a pistol maybe at once tried to be cops or something(6d Threat pool, with + attack level, +1penetration. Every +3 thugs = +1d. Or use grenade at 5d)
10 guys good with something like a Uzi thugs with smarts and combat skills applied to there strengths(9d threat pool from auto-fire, with +1 attack level Every +4 thugs = +1d)
5 guys good with a machine gun like real good like former military(Soldier Stats minor changes such as explosives)
5 guys good with a rifle really good like former snipers or snipers in training basically specialists that should not have been allowed near a gun(Soldier with +15 points.)
3 guys with with a pill that makes them really strong, fast, etc. for 10 minutes. The Pill is expensive and unless your body can handle it deadly(200 point characters)
Some recently acquired explosives military[25 hand grenades, 10 Blocks of C4, 5 Clay-more Mines, 2 anti-tank rounds, a RPG with 7rounds] aerosol sprays of dangerous drugs, some designer toxins, all guys are equipped with some light LAR[1] armor with the better guys in LAR[2] stuff.
Gasoline. A armored van like the kinds that banks use. Several different cars. A school bus.
Places were you could draw him too
A damaged old renovated building. A burned out building missing the top 3 floors of 5. A old train-house. Attacking him at his job in the projects as a ditch-digger
The ability to offer to anyone that helps about $250. And those that are better trained and/or with the right gear up to $2,500 per person.
(Assume the pistols guys are 250, UZI are 250[500](if in good armor), the machine guns are 750[1000](if in good armor), rifles 1500, Pill poppers 2000[2500 with good armor]
You got about 15,000 to spend. And that you can only get 1 to 2 more Pill guys. These are the costs in getting more soldiers and hired guns, if that money is not put towards things like more explosives. This numbers stuff is all to represent limited resources the gang can put towards this guy)
Keeping in mind they don't know where he lives yet. They know what truck he drives and can potentially wait up to a week to act(after 48 to 72 hours the costs to get the hired guns will drop 25%, because of the most recent news on his attacks of a local gang)
The guy planning this assault out is not getting involved but he has these resources to put forward.
This hero is also noted to travel with
-A Scientist made of goo. Can heal fast
-Kollektiv some sort of shapeshifter thing with arm-blades, claws, whips etc. And can grow in size
-A heiress to a multi-million dollar fortune
-A magician with a floating magical tome, can summon lighting, teleport and things
[Depending on the parties actions the thugs will become aware of 1 other party member, and his ability to summon swords. Currently they only know he has some sort of protective ability, and can summon something to hurt people. They don't know he can make several tons of swords or that those swords can float around you acting as armor]
Currently the thug guys plan
2 Snipers fire on the guy.
Group of thugs throw grenades into ditch.
1 Soldier guy blasts with a RPG round
Have a Pill guy move in with a group of 2 soldiers.
If things go south another soldier in car rams super. UZI guys jump out and pump him in the ditch with more grenades, then bullets.
If this fails he loses all UZI, all basic thugs, potential 4 out of 5 soldiers, potentially up to 2 out of 5 snipers, and 1 Pill user
This guy want the hero dead.
He will probably do this attack in the next 36-to-96 hours
[/spoiler]
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I've got an intro to Wild Talents session to run this weekend.
Should be short, but I’m dressing it in a medieval setting to help with the transition for one of my players who has only ever played DnD.
I think they will enjoy it. Even though I'm starting them as 125 point characters.
Anyone have any experience running the game with half the recommended starting points?
(Keep in mind I gave everyone a free die in each attributes and they don’t have to buy power permissions. There are some other slight cost saving techniques in there as well but all in all they aren't over 150 pts of standard character.)
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A thought came up while i looking the electrocuting extra, if you gave it the scatter damage flaw, would the random hit locations then be a starting point for the electrocution?
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A thought came up while i looking the electrocuting extra, if you gave it the scatter damage flaw, would the random hit locations then be a starting point for the electrocution?
Yes and that is an example of scattered damage being +1 extra instead of -1 extra. As noted in the text for the flaw
Personal favorite way to use that.
Shock Shotgun
Attacks,
Attack Level +1, Electrocuting +1, Non-Physical +2, Scattered Damage +1, Speed Bullet[Coordination] +2, Spray +1
Depleted -1, Focus -1, Accessible -1, Immutable -1, Obvious -1
Cost Per Die
Normal[5], Hard[10], Wiggle[20]
Its a Shotgun, that ignores armor. But can still be dodged just need to Coordination to dodge it. Gets to use every set. And each attack does W+1 in damage.
So 2x10 does 3 shock & 3 killing to random locations. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Both arms have 1 shock and 1 killing. Torso has 2 shock and 2 killing. 1 Leg has 2 killing 1 shock. 1 Leg has 1 killing 2 shock.
Now compared to the 2x10's normal damage no that great but.
2x8, 2x9, 2x10. So 9 Killing & Shock. Lets say; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
Torso Has 7 Killing & Shock
Each Arm has 2 Killing & Shock
Each Leg Has 8 Killing & Shock(With one have 9 Killing and the Other having 9 Shock)
Compare to the normal version? 9 Killing & Shock to the Torso. 3 Killing & Shock to the head. 9 Killing & Shock split between the legs.
Total Damage with Scattered[28 Killing. 28 Shock]
Total Damage Without[21 Killing. 21 Shock]
This is assuming of course you roll 1's and/or 2's. If those are not rolled then the damage increases.
Also scattered on a power with engulf representing a explosion hitting various random locations can work better then dice in Area
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Well, I had hoped to get some assistance in time for a game tomorrow but I've been a bit hung up all day and wasn't able to get here. Still, here goes nothing!
I was planning to run a first WT game tomorrow; had it all figured out except for statting things out and unfortunately I didn't have the system mastery or the time to sort it all out. But maybe you guys can help; even if I can't run the game tomorrow it'll be a huge help for when I finally do!
So let me outline what I had hoped to run:
Player characters will be 500-600 point Cosmic Power characters, assigned by some sort of space authority to deal with some threats in the Sol system; this will take place just after 1900 AD Earth time.
Threat 1 - Threat level to characters: low.
Basically a Star Destroyer-type spaceship with some shuttles, turrets, short-range support craft, manned by humanoid aliens who are suspected to be en route to exploiting the pre-spaceflight culture on the third planet of the Sol system. This is against some kind of galactic law, thus the players have been shot in there to deal with them as they see fit.
Might have some power-armor personnel who can stand up to the PCs for a little bit, but overall I want the PCs to be able to tear through this thing and feel awesome doing so. At 500-600 points and access to whatever power they want to manifest with their Cosmic Power, that shouldn't be too much trouble.
Threat 2 - Threat level to characters: high.
Basically, Baba Yaga reimagined as a nigh-immortal cosmically powered alien super. Her 'house on chicken legs' I see as a gargantuan mecha with reverse-articulated 'chicken' legs. Enough points to give five 600 point characters a run for their money and force them to get REALLY creative.
What do you guys think? Ideas as to how to accomplish these things? I really don't expect anyone to have done this by the time of my game day tomorrow (think we're starting early afternoon EDT) but hey, it'd be awesome if you could and I'd owe you a drink. Or something!
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I wouldn't bother statting the space ship, just decide how much damage it does and how much armor it has then just make up abilities as appropriate.
AS for the cosmic threat your looking at a roughly 1000 pt character. I'll see what I can come up with but it'll be a process.
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Thanks, I appreciate it and look forward to seeing what you cook up!
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Hideous Visage 2hd
Useful[Self]Useful[Self]
Interference +3, Self Only -3, Radius +2, Permanent +4
Seeing Baba Yaga requires a trauma check. Characters that fail lose half their will power, but do not have to flee. This power provides gobbles 2 successes from any successful trauma check made to resist it's effects. Baba Yaga absorbs this will power and can make use of it herself.
This is all I have so far. I didn't bother to calculate points because it's an enemy and I'm lazy, so as long as it produces the desired effect I don't worry about points too much.
This should be a generally good power for damaging a party from the get go.
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Radius makes it a 10 yard radius around you we want it when someone see's her
Useful(Trauma Check), Interference +3, On Sight +1, Permanent +4
Useful(Willpower Absorb), Interference +3, On Sight +1, Permanent +4, Self Only -3
Cost Per Die
Normal[17], Hard[34], Wiggle[68]
Attached can be applied too the Willpower Absorb making it only work when she forces the Trauma Check. Otherwise whenever the group spends Willpower She could get some. As long as they can see her.
Always On, could be applied meaning no matter what she applies this Trauma check and Absorbs Willpower when you first meet her.
If/Then saying the Trauma Check can only be done once on a character.
Either of the Abilities could be Horrifying
It should wreck parties not prepared for it. Though keep in mind its only Gobble Dice = To the Hard dice in the power. So with 2hd that's only 2 Gobble Dice.
Meaning If the group rolls the following
Flying Brick: 2x10, 2x9
Speedster: 2x8
Gadget Man: 3x10, 2x8, 2x6
Sexy Energy Controller: 2x7
She can only break 2 sets. Which in this case the best sets too break would be, the Speedster and the Sexy Energy Controller too get the most Willpower. Though she could also break all the Flying Bricks sets and mess him up.
This is just a reminder that the Gobble Dice can't be used against each and every roll made to resist the Trauma. You get X = Hard Dice(Max 10)
Also any suggestions for Supernatural Diseases(like Vampirism), powers, ancestry, abilities and all that jazz.
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It's Permanent and Interference which means it applies those gobble dice to any set as it's chosen.
So it gobbles 2 from any set ever.
3x10 2x8 and 2x9
All fail because it's a permanent interference, meaning it always interferes with sets used to resist it. You would have to get at least a width 4 to suceed.
Think of it like the powers armor.
If you have 2 HAR it reduces every set made to attack the character by two.
So this power goes off, the players make resistence checks (effectively attacks against the powers effectiveness) the power reduces each attempt at resisting it by 2 width.
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It gobbles 2 per round.
That is why Norm didn't just get Permanent on the Bubble. Because Duration had the same effect without the hiked up cost.
Permanent Powers can't be shut down by lose of Willpower or Base Will. And also stay in effect after you die along with all the other benefits of Endless/Duration.
It does not work that way. It goes off every-time no matter the willpower, asleep, or awake. But it only gives you so many Gobble Dice. Not 2 Gobble Dice per set.
Why Norm's shield could be taken down if someone ate through it.
Gobble Dice can only be normally applied so much.
Armor Lets Gobble Dice be applied to every roll at the cost of being effect by Penetration & Non-Physical.
Normally Gobble Dice are not applied too every roll. Otherwise 2 HAR is infinitely worse then 2 Gobble Dice. Because the Gobble Dice provide the same protection without the negatives.
Which is not the case.
Gobble Dice work like any other defensive action they remove dice but also are dropped in doing so.
Armored Defense makes note of that, with it being Width in armor which applied against every attack. Unlike normal Gobble dice
It's why Kollektiv has a 3hd, Defends, Interference +3, Permanent +4 power and I'm not having too roll 5 width. Or 4 sets of 2 width too hurt her
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Ok try this.
The Dodge Podge from the book gives you 2hd in the dodge with permanent.
Nomally dodge gives you gobble dice against the effect you are choosing to dodge, with permanent it is ensuring that you dodge every attack(as long as you are fast enough) of 2x10.
I am basing my logic more off of HAR and LAR than off of anything else but I was under the impression the the reason Ross deterimed that something had to "break" it was because Radius+Defends is extremely powerful.
Either way it doesn't actually matter in this case because it's a boss monster so it can just have 10hd and guarantee failure from the entire group.
For the encounter I have in my head they are meant to fail the check to feed it willpower.
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Fair enough on the Boss Monster
As for the Defends+Radius being overpowered I agree. But I would also like to add onto that if that is true then it would show Ross being a Monster, and we all know that's not true.
Your basing your logic off of LAR & HAR? I see it from how the wording of Armored Defense goes that its normally not applid to every roll.
Mainly because of things like Size Shift. Because oh your power is 4x10 Size Shift? Ok well now to hurt you someone has to have Interference on a 2x10 attack. Or a attack going off at speed 5. Or a attack at 3x(#), & 4x(#) etc. So you can't do the whole storm of arrows hitting the giant and most being ineffectual but some injure it. And it gets worse if you can apply Interference to the defense on Size Shift.
I'm seeing it from the logical that it would be pretty easy to break with the right character idea even unintentionally
Also I personally like Daze abuse for these type of things. Over Interference winnings
Useful(Peace Aura), Always On -1, Booster[Range] +1, Daze +1, Full Power Only -1, If/Then(Cannot wield elements of war) -1, Interference +3, On Sight +1, Permanent +4, Self Only -3
Cost Per Die
Normal[6], Hard[12], Wiggle[24]
There is the peace aura power Ross made or how I see it at least. Get 6 Hard Dice. 72points.
It gives him 6 Gobble Dice and anyone targeting him specifically and only him also loses 6 dice from the die pool.
Simple and effective.
You need a 8 die or better offensive thing too even attempt a roll. And after that he still has those 6 Gobbles.
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I was thinking about a character with a power that would cause bad luck. It wouldn't cause any damage but if he hits you with his power, it creates a threat pool of bad luck, and each subsequent hit increases the pool to the max of 10, but my problem is i have no idea how this would be designed. Can anyone help me with this?
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I was thinking about a character with a power that would cause bad luck. It wouldn't cause any damage but if he hits you with his power, it creates a threat pool of bad luck, and each subsequent hit increases the pool to the max of 10, but my problem is i have no idea how this would be designed. Can anyone help me with this?
What would a threat pool accomplish? Would it be like a dynamic interference roll against everything that the enemy was doing?
There is a sample bad luck power in the book you can look at for some guidance.
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It's called Jinx I think. Maybe if you throw delayed effect on it and have the dice show up randomly over several scenes?
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The Jinx power is ok but meh.
You want something that causes the target to have there rolls impeded well under its effects.
Useful(Bad Luck), Daze +1, Duration +2, Interference +3, Willpower Bid -1
Defends, Range Capacity +2, Willpower Bid -1
This Bad Luck power with 2 Hard Dice is good.
You can throw 2 Gobble Dice onto a target along with 2 Daze. So a 6d+2hd pool becomes, 6d. The Gobble eat 2 dice a round on your target and stays with him for the scene. The defends lets you get off a quick defense if things go bad which you can apply to allies meaning the opponent suffers some bad luck and misses by inches or other such things.
This version is costly at Normal[10], Hard[20], Wiggle[40]
But can be dropped lower with Willpower Cost, or making you Loopy after its use, or the Useful is slow and takes a round to build up that bad karma again.
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One of my players has a character who has Ranged Weapon Pistol with 3 hard dice. My problem as gm is how to deal with this without always giving every villain armor or defense powers. Any ideas??
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Firstly, welcome to the forums. We're always happy to have new posters.
Well, the long and short of it is that your player wants to kill people and unless you prevent them from doing so that is what is going to happen every combat round. Options "0" is talk to the player, ask if they understand just what their power is going to do and what that means for the campaign. You might find some sort of compromise.
As far as keeping him from killing villains you do have some options:
1) Don't let him near the villain
2) Wear helmets
3) Have non-human villains
4) Globular villains
5) Immunity to bullets
6) Have a setting were straight up murdering villains is a crime, or at least socially unacceptable
7) Regenerating or "double creating" villain
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What are the character's passions? If he doesn't have willpower, he can't use his powers.
If the power comes from the pistol itself, then you can neutralize it - have a villain with a gadget that jams the gun or something like that.
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The character took hyper skills for all his powers. In my world people are just getting powers for the first time ever and the character is a former Mexican drug dealer, gang member who is seeking redemption. He refrains from using the Hard Dice in pistol a lot and on the occasions he has used it he has really role played the consequences of his actions. Its helped make for some great story I had not planed for. We have ran 7 sessions and I have used villains with helmets a couple of times already and defensive powers. Didnt think of the immunity to bullets so that is getting worked into this weekends game. I just didn't want to keep using the same defensive strategy over and over for this one power.
Also we tied his hyper skill pistol to a specific kind of gun (9mm pistol) so if he has any other pistol he doesn't get the Hard Dice as a way to help too.
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2 HD is equal to 1 WD, which gives him more control over his shooting. He could easily shoot the weapons out of their hands and so forth. If it's just a normal gun, then he should be encountering a lot of problems - he either kills normal people or the bullets bounce off of superpowered enemies.
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Yes he has killed a few normal people at the beginning of the story and has bounced bullets off several super powered villains. He now has learned how deadly he can be to the low leveled villains and role plays his struggle not use this power all the time. He failed his trauma role after killing someone and spent most of the rest of one session without willpower points. My story line so far is very much about the consequences of the players new powers and how they are effecting the world. I just don't want to get in a situation where the player keeps adding hard dice to his pistol and i keep adding armor to peoples heads.
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Such is the struggle of the super hero genre.
Just keep enough paper around to beat his rock.
Honestly your strongest deterrent is going to be in the consequences murder hoboing has on him.
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One of my players has a character who has Ranged Weapon Pistol with 3 hard dice. My problem as gm is how to deal with this without always giving every villain armor or defense powers. Any ideas??
Does he sleep with his gun, always? Potential stealing...ransom...
Have him travel to a country with strong gun control laws...
He has to pay taxes (the IRS don't need armour...)
Maybe someone sues him for damages?
Arrested for homicide?
A series of attacks, murders happen with a gun that has similar ballistics, so the police confiscate it?
There are a whole slew of ways to 'deal with this' that don't have anything to do with game mechanics or violence...
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Just update on my players gun killing. Thanks for the suggestions, some good ideas I am going to use. My player is really stepping up and making it work for the game too. Last week he killed a mid level bad guy who was a real slime ball. This week the player learned that the bad guy had a pregnant wife who is now without protection or income. The player is now trying to make sure the wife gets money and help. I only added the detail of the abused pregnant wife as fluff to make the bad guy a terrible person and the player just ran with it. So looks like i was over thinking the problem
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Thread Necromancy up in huuur.
Insubstantiality 2hd
Useful[Self]
Permanant +4, Self Only -3
True or false, if this power is currently active and someone shoots a gun at the hero, the bullet passes through harmlessly, even in the abscence of a defends quality?
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I say true, a bullet would pass right through. Gamemaster's choice about other things like fire, lightning, energy, mental bolts, etc.
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I would say true as well, but does permanent allow players to turn the power on or off?
also: I would definitely let energy attacks harm the player - environmental factors must be able to affect an insubstantial character or how else can he breathe, be affected by gravity, etc?
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Permanent means it'll go forever unless the player chooses to turn it off. It's what you use for stuff that'll continue even after you die (like Regeneration or an armored suit that isn't a Focus).
It's usually paired with a Flaw that you can't willingly turn it off which makes it cost the same as Endless.
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So a friend of mine and I have been having this out. He claims that because it prevents you from taking damage it should require a Defends Quality. My idea is that the miracle makes it so you are no longer vunerable to said attack, so it no longer becomes a concern of the normal combat rules.
I guess what I am asking here, is there a way I could express this that could squash the discussion.
Other then agreeing to disagree which to an extent we've already done.
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hrm...
Without defends, each turn you have to choose (on your action) if you are intangible or not. If you are you cannot affect the material world and it cannot affect you.
With defends, it allows you some level of protection even if you didn't choose to be immaterial on your turn (as it opens the power up to being used in response to an attack).
My 2 cents.
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Defends specifically negates Attack. Useful changes circumstances.
Being insubstantial means that a directly physical attack doesn't apply to you, in the same way that a teleport power that moves you five miles away from the attack would simply mean it doesn't apply to you. It doesn't matter how good of a shot it was because the target was invalid. It's like shooting someone's words or trying to damage the ocean by shooting bullets into it. But the effect also does not specifically resist damage because, as we agreed below, energy attacks still apply (as might other problems).
Insubstantial cuts two ways. Check it: "in·sub·stan·tial : lacking strength and solidity". As I see it, if you turn insubstantial then you can't do anything either. So no shooting or punching back.
Farther, "insubstantial" is pretty broad. In fiction powers often have reasoning behind them. People who are "insubstantial" and use that to phase through matter might require the matter be slow moving, so bullets and speedy object aren't affected.
Wild Talents favors home balancing because every hero game is different. The real question is what does the player intend to do with the power? If the player is trying to make a really cheap form of physical immunity so they don't take damage than disallow the power. If they have a reason for picking the power that balances well against what other players are paying for their own abilities than I don't see a problem that it has the side effect of sometimes letting you avoid damage.
Remember, it's Wild Talents. It's a superhero game. Trying to apply real life "rules" to the game doesn't really work. Unless, of course, you want to play in a world that deals with 'reality' intermixing with superpowers.
With defends, it allows you some level of protection even if you didn't choose to be immaterial on your turn (as it opens the power up to being used in response to an attack).
Claive makes a good point here. If the power is Useful and you want to active it to avoid damage than it's all or nothing. If you beat their Width than you active first. If not, than you get hit and loss a dice from the set, you don't get to Gobble like you do with Defends.
So, let's say you get attacked with 3x10. Using the power previously listed (2HD) you'd get hit because 2x10 isn't fast enough to active before the attack. So you take all of the damage. But a 2HD Defends about cut the 3x10 down to 1x10 because it Gobbles and break the attack's set.
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So, let's say you get attacked with 3x10. Using the power previously listed (2HD) you'd get hit because 2x10 isn't fast enough to active before the attack. So you take all of the damage. But a 2HD Defends about cut the 3x10 down to 1x10 because it Gobbles and break the attack's set.
Wouldn't this only apply to a defends roll with interference?
Because if it's a regular defends roll the 3x10 attack goes off before the 2x10 defense power/dodge/block.
Unless I missed something somewhere along the way.
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So, let's say you get attacked with 3x10. Using the power previously listed (2HD) you'd get hit because 2x10 isn't fast enough to active before the attack. So you take all of the damage. But a 2HD Defends about cut the 3x10 down to 1x10 because it Gobbles and break the attack's set.
Wouldn't this only apply to a defends roll with interference?
Because if it's a regular defends roll the 3x10 attack goes off before the 2x10 defense power/dodge/block.
Unless I missed something somewhere along the way.
Good catch, you need interference
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We've hit a bit an impasse I would say.
His core argument being that because the premade immunities power in the book is a useful quality that specifically states that to protect you from damage it needs a defends quality, that this means that insubstantiality should conform to the same standard.
Either way, thanks for the help thus far. At this point its become more of a friendly debate than actually being important to the game. We have the added bonus of being friends in real life and not just gamer group friends so in the end it's a pretty civil discussion.
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Oh right, Wild Talents. I was thinking of Monsters and Other Childish Things rules for attack and defense.
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I'd say that while the power is on he is outside the world and can't effect mass, but mass can't effect him either.
He can't use it as a defense like armor or gobble but if he's phased he can ignore all things with mass.
Also I might add the "No Physics" to it if you want to be mean/enforce gravity when he's outside.
Immunity can be all kinds of irritating if you let players take it to things like "Bullets" "Fists" and such but I think it's more for things like radiation etc.
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Cool, thanks for the respones everyone. We got it worked out. He decided to try tweeting Shane Ivey the question and he got an answer, because Shanes a good guy like that.
He responded in my affirmative.
Random other question for you guys to have fun musing about:
Is there a reason, other than for thematics and the non physical extra that you would just ignore the armored defense and hardened armor flaw/extra combo.
It's a wash points wise and I'm not really sure what it does mechanically if you just ignore the extras and flaws and just buy it. Only thing I can think of is that it would still work on non physical damage sources if you dont turn it into armor...
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The main thing of it is that Armored Defense grants LAR which acts against every attack that meets it so long as it is in place as opposed to a non-Armored Defense power which only uses whatever sets it has which then go poof until next time it is used (or next round if it has a duration). It's basically a specific cheapo version of interference, some of the penalties of which are mitigated by taking Hardened Armor (it probably warrants mentioning that while not specifically prohibited the wording of Armored Defense and Hardened Armor seems to suggest that the latter is not supposed to be taken with HAR-granting powers. YMMV).
Alright, bear with me a moment I cooked up a couple of examples to demonstrate the functional differences. We've got two heroes with similar defensive powers:
'Crunch' is a harried accountant by day and a budding telekinetic hero by night with Subconscious Deflection 2HD (Defends. Extras & Flaws: Always On -1, Permanent +4) as his primary means of defense.
'Slither' on the other hand is just a lizardman trying to make it in a non-lizardman's world, he has Scaly Hide 2HD (Defends. Extras & Flaws: Always On -1, Armored Defense -2, Hardened Armor +2, Permanent +4). This gives him 2 points of Hardened LAR.
Example 1:
In two alternate universes our heroes have chanced upon a crack den and being eager to thwart villany are looting the place, only to be interrupted by Crackhead McGee coming back from picking up his grandmother's prescription at the Rite-Aid. He attacks them in both universes with a sawn-off 12-gauge shotgun, rolling 2x8.
Crunch's Universe - Crunch's automatic 2x10 precedes McGee's 2x8 in the initiative order, scattering the shot. While McGee is standing there dumbfounded Crunch force-shoves his attacker out of a window.
Slither's Universe – McGee's 2x8 computes to 3 shock and killing to the torso (shotgun damage is WSK+1), Slither's 2 Hardened LAR changes the shock damage to 1 and mitigates 2 of the killing damage into shock. The damage total is now 3 shock and 1 killing to the torso. If McGee's shotgun somehow had penetration the result would be the same. Wounded, Slither hisses and pounces across the room to give McGee a vicious hiding.
Example A:
McGee is back for revenge! Having just got out of traction he has gathered three of his buddies and ambushes the heroes, bursting into a Taco Bell bathroom stall to set upon them with iron bars (club damage is WS+1). They roll 3x6, 2x10, 2x2 and nothing.
Crunch's Universe – Crunch yelps as the first blow (3x6) comes down on his outstretched right hand badly spraining it with 4 shock damage. Worse, having suffered an injury he takes a gobble dice to his highest set (the 2x10 of his Subconscious Deflection), the pain robbing him of his protection when he needs it the most. Even if this weren't the case his defensive ability would only be enough to block one of the remaining blows. He is then struck in the head and right leg for 2 shock each and proceeds to suffer an ignominious and smelly beating.
Slither's Universe – Slither grunts under the staccato impact of iron on his scaly hide, taking only 1 shock to the head, torso and right leg thanks to his ophidian resilience. If the third of his attackers had instead wielded a particularly sharp switchblade (WS+1K, Pen 2) the damage to his right leg would have only been 2 shock (shock reduced to 1, 1 killing mitigated to shock) thanks to his hardened armor. Met with a roar the attackers recoil as much from Slither's sudden ferocity as the now apparent roiling stench and are set upon with verve and frenzy.
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This has been particularly helpful, How does this play out with interference?
Also, does this basically mean that a character with "armored defense" get to apply its defenses against all attacks, while gobble dice even though they are permanent are only usable once per round?
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First off, I made a mistake.
Crunch's Universe – Crunch yelps as the first blow (3x6) comes down on his outstretched right hand badly spraining it with 4 shock damage. Worse, having suffered an injury he takes a gobble dice to his highest set (the 2x10 of his Subconscious Deflection), the pain robbing him of his protection when he needs it the most. Even if this weren't the case his defensive ability would only be enough to block one of the remaining blows. He is then struck in the head and right leg for 2 shock each and proceeds to suffer an ignominious and smelly beating.
The highlighted section is incorrect, if somehow Crunch's defense had not been disrupted his power would grant him two gobble dice which could be divided between the two remaining attacks, reducing each to width 1 and causing them to miss (for reference: page 73 of the WT:EE, page 75 of the regular version).
Other than that you've got it. As for interference, on it's own it applies to every attack that hits while it is active as regular gobble dice (including attacks with higher width). If you take it with armored defense it grants you width in HAR which is essentially the same with the exception that attacks with penetration ignore up to their penetration value in points of HAR. I can provide another example addressing this later if you want, but right now I've got to dash.
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Alright I think I am undertaking a great challenge.
I want to make a character similar to Pangloss' cortical stack.
No Body
No Coordination
But with an ability to manifest a physical form, similar to The Doctor hologram from Star Trek Voyager.
With a Wireless tech manipulation power and a sensors effect for perceiving the world around it.
Any thoughts on how this might hold up?
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Complicated but doable. I mean aside from the option of simply giving the character Body and Coordination and hand-waving that they aren't really there. Cus that'd be easiest.
I only have a vague idea of how The Doctor on Voyager worked but here goes. I guess make a useful power, 1 wiggle and then however many dice you want. Useful: Make a body. Give it +1 Complicated to emulate fine manipulation for fingers and stuff. +2 Subtle since the only way to know it isn't real is to touch it.
Or, you could take an Augment power with limiters that it can only replicate Body and Coordination dice, link that to the projection power, basically "Ghost" right out of the book, and then rolls skills like normal.
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But if you take "No Body" then you aren't a physical object? If you want a physical computer drive, you need body (if only 1d).
"No Coordination" would fullfill the role of being immobile.
You would then take the "alternate form" power to create a hologram of yourself, as per page 99. When your powers were active, you would have a physical form. Alternately, I would say that the "SideKick" power on page 154 may be more fitting, just add an additional useful quality to it so that you can "possess" the hologram. If you want it to be able to pick up tools and what not, add an attacks quality and the Power Capacity: Mass Extra to it.
If you wanted to be blind without a a power for perceiving the world around you then you would take "no sense", you could then just take hyper sense and perhaps put flaws on it. While your powers work, you can see.
For a tech control power I always liked
Techno-kinesis (U) 1d + 1 wd (6 per die = 30 pts)
Useful Extras and Flaws: Variable Effect +4, If/Then: Only for Variable Effect -1, If/Then: Only things a computer with wifi could conceivably do -1, Duration +2. Capacity: Range
You would also want to take the "Amorphous" quality, since you don't have arms, legs, etc. Or purchase the "Custom Hit Locations" power.
Maybe take the "Size Shift" power, unless you want the computer to be man sized.
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Double Post
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Anyone have any idea why giving up a stat COSTS points?
5 points to be unable to move on my own? Doesn't sound right.
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If the game defaulted to no one being able to move then that wouldn't be much of a game. It costs because you are clearly doing something intentionally; it's not a flaw, you are trying to achieve it as a goal.
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I have an odd question, how would one go about making a magic spear for a character?
I'm thinking of making it a hyperskill with a few other miracles (flight to return etc) any other ideas?
Here's the first draft:
Heaven's Justice Spear (artifact)
All are: Focus -1 Accessible -1
Hyperskill Spear: Spray+1 Penetration +1 Go first +1 Native +1
3/dice (adds 1 spray dice to attacks, can use multiple sets, native stacks with user's own skill)
Flight U 1/dice.
Booster+2 (speed) Focus -1 Accessible -1 Obvious -1 (a flaming spear streaking towards the hero) If/then: only to return to the hero -1.
With three dice it means that the spear when called flies to the hero at supersonic speed but can't do anything else with the power.
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I have an odd question, how would one go about making a magic spear for a character?
I'm thinking of making it a hyperskill with a few other miracles (flight to return etc) any other ideas?
Here's the first draft:
Heaven's Justice Spear (artifact)
All are: Focus -1 Accessible -1
Hyperskill Spear: Spray+1 Penetration +1 Go first +1 Native +1
3/dice (adds 1 spray dice to attacks, can use multiple sets, native stacks with user's own skill)
Flight U 1/dice.
Booster+2 (speed) Focus -1 Accessible -1 Obvious -1 (a flaming spear streaking towards the hero) If/then: only to return to the hero -1.
With three dice it means that the spear when called flies to the hero at supersonic speed but can't do anything else with the power.
Perhaps instead of putting a separate flight power on the spear you could give it the ranged power capacity? That would let you "throw" it and have it return to you. The way you have it now, the power has one die to return, you can't roll a set on one die... so you would have to "take your time" or get some other bonus to get it to work?
Using the example of focus creation on page 139, it might look something like this.
Heaven's Justice Spear 10d (A; 3 per die; 30 pts))
Attack Extras and Flaws: Focus (Accessible, Operational Skill (Melee Weapon(Spear))) -2, Obvious-1, Spray +1, Penetration +1, Go First +1, Native +1. Power Capacity: Range (5,120 Yards)
Effect: This is a magical spear that glows like the sun. When rolling for this power use your Body + Melee Weapon (Spear) dicepool. When it is thrown it creates multiple copies of itself that can strike multiple targets. Once it hits it fades away, magically returning to the hand of the one who threw it. It is incredibly sharp and ignores one point of armor. It flies supernaturally quickly and adds one to its width for initiative purposes. It contains its own reservoir of magic and cannot be negated.
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Only thing to remember with that setup is that any hyperbody that disarms you can likely destroy the spear with a turn or two of effort.
If I remember correctly since its not stat'd as an adaptation, it is instead considered to have 1 hit box per die in the power.
So someone who has multiple hard/wiggle dice can do considerable damage to it.
It's easily arguable that a mundane spear has the ranged and touch capacities on it's attacks quality so you might be better off taking Adaptable -2 and Indestructible +2 to keep it with the magical spear feel.
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I'm back to take more. So I've got a con game coming up, how is the best way to make a 75-point mini-vampire power set? Includes allergies to sun, garlit etc.
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Vampires have been associated with approximately 9 billion super powers - which powers/abilities do your vampires have? Strength, turn to mist/animal form, hypnosis, invulnerability, etc?
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Yeah, I think what I'm going to do is slap a "Vampire Problems: -2" onto each power and let that take care of the crosses, garlic, running water, invitation etc. I'll just give them a killing allergy to sunlight.
As for powers, I want to hand out a few hyperstats, turning to mist, blood based regeneration, mesmerism (with the obvious flaw) maybe a few others, I want to land them somewhere between effective and Hammer cliche.
(I'll put up the whole mess in a bit as it's being written out now.)
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Yeah, I think what I'm going to do is slap a "Vampire Problems: -2" onto each power and let that take care of the crosses, garlic, running water, invitation etc. I'll just give them a killing allergy to sunlight.
As for powers, I want to hand out a few hyperstats, turning to mist, blood based regeneration, mesmerism (with the obvious flaw) maybe a few others, I want to land them somewhere between effective and Hammer cliche.
(I'll put up the whole mess in a bit as it's being written out now.)
Mist Form 1/die
Useful+3[Self]
Extra's and Flaw's: Self Only -3, Endless -3, Vampire Problems -2
Vampiric Toughness(Light Armor) 1/die
Defends[Self]
Extra's and Flaws: Permanent +4, Always on -1, Armored Defense -2, Vampire Problems -2
Mind Control 1/die
Useful[Range]
Extra's/Flaw's: Duration +2, Vampire Problems -2, Obvious -1
Hyperstats 2/die each
Body, Coordination, Sense, Charm, and Command all make sense.
Blood Regeneration 1/die
Useful+1[Self]
Extra's/Flaw's: Engulf +2, Duration +2, Self Only -3, If/Then(Can only be activated immediately after drinking blood) -1, Vampire Problems -2
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Yeah, I think what I'm going to do is slap a "Vampire Problems: -2" onto each power and let that take care of the crosses, garlic, running water, invitation etc. I'll just give them a killing allergy to sunlight.
As for powers, I want to hand out a few hyperstats, turning to mist, blood based regeneration, mesmerism (with the obvious flaw) maybe a few others, I want to land them somewhere between effective and Hammer cliche.
(I'll put up the whole mess in a bit as it's being written out now.)
I would just add
If/Then (So long as you have drank blood that night) -1
If/Then (Only at night) -1
to all powers.
Also, add the appropriate allergies to sunlight, running water, garlic, etc.
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That's more or less exactly what I came up with.
Here are the 75 point packages I came up with for the powers, most have some form of defense power, here they are:
Ninja Coke:
Body +2d
Coordination +3d
Sense +2d
(28)
Multiple actions 2d (4)
32
Athletics +5d
Unarmed Combat +5d
Melee (blades) +5d
Dodge +5d (20)
Stealth +2d+1wd (6)
Perception +3d
Lie +3d (6) 32
Empathy +2d
Endurance +2d
Lockpicking +2d
Security systems +2d
Stability +2d
Japanese +1d (11) 43
75
Notes: Haunted by the souls of the countless second rate ninja and petty criminals who were distilled to make it. They show up as hallucinations to bug the player and ask for favors.
Using multiple actions allows you to declare and attempt up to three actions without penalty.
Good old Pangloss shrooms
Telekenisis
A 2 (Add mass+2, slow-2 obvious -1) (1)
U 2 (Add mass +2 obvious -1 duration +2) (5)
6/dice, 10d (60)
D (LAR, obvious-1, 2/dice) 3hd (12)
72
Base will (3)
75
Notes: obvious is a green glowing, also comes with a dud power not under the player's control
Dud: receptive/projective telepathy, starts at 1d, gains one d every minute, on a match it activates, odd is receptive, even is projective, roll for every stressful situation, or boring ones, or high focus or if it's funny.
Vampire blood
Body +1d
Coordination +1d
Sense +1d
Charm +1d
Command +1d
10 (all have vampire problems -2)
Regeneration (vampire problems -2 must drink blood daily -1) 2/dice 2hd (8)
18
Turn to mist/bat/wolf
U 2 (variable effect+4, duration+2, if/then only for ve, only three forms -2 vampire problems -2) 4/dice 5d (20)
38
Mesmerism
U 2 (duration+2 vampire problems-2 obvious-1) 1/dice 4d (4)
42
Vampiric toughness (LAR -2 vampire problems) 1/dice 2hd (4)
46
Vampiric senses
U 2 (variable effect +4 only for ve, only for senses -2 vampire problems -2 2/dice) 1wd (8)
54
Telepathy
U 2 ( duration +2vampire problems -2 must have drank the person's blood -1) 1/dice 6d (6)
60
Hyperskills
Brawl
Penetration +1 Go first +1 3/d 4d (12)
72
Base Will 1 (3)
75
Lyutean Omni-Tool
all have focus -1, indestructible +2 irreplaceable -2
Heavy armor (always on -1 only arms -2) 1/d 6hd (12)
Adaptive energy assault system
A 2 (focus-1 no upper limit +2 obvious -1) 2/dice 10d (20) No Upper Limit in this case lets you spend willpower to add extras.
32
Psychic Artifacts (25)
U 2 (Duration +2 obvious -1 if/then (VE only for artifacts) -1 Variable effect +4 Focus -1) 5/d 8d (40)
72
Base Will 1 (3)
75
Xhrexian Mutigen
Body +4d (16)
16
Hard Armor (HAR) (obvious, scales -1) 5/dice 2hd (20)
36
Eye lasers
Spray+1, obvious, glowing purple energy beams -1) 2/dice 9d (18)
54
Flight
U 2 (duration+2, booster +1, go last-1 obvious, sounds like a freight train -1) 3/dice 2hd+1d (15)
69
Skills
Brawl +2d
Perception +2d
Stability +2d
75
Notes: Turning into a lizard man. Other players can make rolls to notice over the next hour after the mutigen is taken, player also notices scales and hair falling out etc.