Author Topic: Wild Talents question  (Read 187606 times)

SageNytell

  • I dream in graph paper lines
  • ****
  • Posts: 435
  • We're the Tusken Sound Raiders... start the rave.
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #90 on: January 27, 2012, 10:55:41 AM »
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'.

Flawless P

  • I walk between the rain drops, tommy gun and katana in hand
  • *****
  • Posts: 1024
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #91 on: January 27, 2012, 01:21:54 PM »
Maybe this is why my practice powers end up costing next to nothing.

its a good point.
42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
If you can't fix it with duck tape you haven't used enough.
I intend to live forever -- so far, so good.

Tadanori Oyama

  • Extreme XP CEO
  • *******
  • Posts: 3897
  • The Full Time GM
    • View Profile
    • Full Time GM
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #92 on: January 27, 2012, 02:39:14 PM »
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.

Flawless P

  • I walk between the rain drops, tommy gun and katana in hand
  • *****
  • Posts: 1024
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #93 on: January 27, 2012, 03:20:41 PM »
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.
42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
If you can't fix it with duck tape you haven't used enough.
I intend to live forever -- so far, so good.

Flawless P

  • I walk between the rain drops, tommy gun and katana in hand
  • *****
  • Posts: 1024
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #94 on: January 27, 2012, 03:41:09 PM »
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?
42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
If you can't fix it with duck tape you haven't used enough.
I intend to live forever -- so far, so good.

JuddX

  • Slayer of the Dread Gazebo
  • *
  • Posts: 15
  • I love dem pencil and paper roleplaying games!
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #95 on: March 14, 2012, 11:11:34 PM »
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?

Tadanori Oyama

  • Extreme XP CEO
  • *******
  • Posts: 3897
  • The Full Time GM
    • View Profile
    • Full Time GM
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #96 on: March 15, 2012, 12:44:09 AM »
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.

clockworkjoe

  • BUY MY BOOK
  • Administrator
  • Extreme XP CEO
  • *****
  • Posts: 6517
    • View Profile
    • BUY MY BOOK
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #97 on: March 15, 2012, 12:48:06 AM »

JuddX

  • Slayer of the Dread Gazebo
  • *
  • Posts: 15
  • I love dem pencil and paper roleplaying games!
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #98 on: March 15, 2012, 08:20:58 PM »
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.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2012, 08:43:27 PM by JuddX »

Flawless P

  • I walk between the rain drops, tommy gun and katana in hand
  • *****
  • Posts: 1024
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #99 on: March 16, 2012, 02:01:56 AM »
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.
42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
If you can't fix it with duck tape you haven't used enough.
I intend to live forever -- so far, so good.

Flawless P

  • I walk between the rain drops, tommy gun and katana in hand
  • *****
  • Posts: 1024
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #100 on: March 16, 2012, 04:28:05 PM »
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?
42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
If you can't fix it with duck tape you haven't used enough.
I intend to live forever -- so far, so good.

Leshrac

  • Slayer of the Dread Gazebo
  • *
  • Posts: 28
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #101 on: March 18, 2012, 02:06:48 PM »
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?

Leshrac

  • Slayer of the Dread Gazebo
  • *
  • Posts: 28
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #102 on: March 18, 2012, 02:19:38 PM »
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.

SageNytell

  • I dream in graph paper lines
  • ****
  • Posts: 435
  • We're the Tusken Sound Raiders... start the rave.
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #103 on: March 18, 2012, 09:58:34 PM »
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.


SageNytell

  • I dream in graph paper lines
  • ****
  • Posts: 435
  • We're the Tusken Sound Raiders... start the rave.
    • View Profile
Re: Wild Talents question
« Reply #104 on: March 18, 2012, 10:40:02 PM »
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?