Author Topic: Custom Power List  (Read 216302 times)

Offline ways and means

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1783
  • What Lies in the Truth, what truth in the Lies.
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #240 on: April 11, 2011, 03:33:04 AM »
Retribution seems a little potent and not fully described how is the damage dealt is there a roll involved etc.
Every night has its day.
Even forever must come to an end....
I think.

Offline Tedronai

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2343
  • Damane
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #241 on: April 11, 2011, 03:44:19 AM »
Retribution [-2]
Prerequisites: Either Evocation, Thaumaturgy, Sponsored Magic or Guide Thy Hand
Attacking you is a dicey proposition for the attacker; anyone who attacks you in melee combat receives the same damage against them.

Upgrades:
The Mark Of Caine [-3]: Big Mistake to attack you.  All damage done to you is repaid sevenfold.

I'm not sold on those prerequisites.  Why wouldn't the Nevernever's Dire Flaming Porcupine of Death (obviously not being a practitioner of any stripe, nor being a creature of Faith) be able to have this power?
As for Mark of Caine...no.  Just no.  Just throwing a fist to the gut (calling it a 1 stress hit) of a character with that upgrade would be capable of killing most humans outright (7 stress being comparable to a solid hit from a hunting rifle).  Combined with the fact that the combined cost is less than a +0-Catch-ed Mythic Toughness...
Even Chaotic Neutral individuals have to apologize sometimes. But at least we don't have to mean it.
Slough

Offline bibliophile20

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 426
  • Mmmm.... BBQ.
    • View Profile
    • Gaming Group Wiki: UR-Talarius
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #242 on: April 11, 2011, 03:49:13 AM »
I'm not sold on those prerequisites.  Why wouldn't the Nevernever's Dire Flaming Porcupine of Death (obviously not being a practitioner of any stripe, nor being a creature of Faith) be able to have this power?
As for Mark of Caine...no.  Just no.  Just throwing a fist to the gut (calling it a 1 stress hit) of a character with that upgrade would be capable of killing most humans outright (7 stress being comparable to a solid hit from a hunting rifle).  Combined with the fact that the combined cost is less than a +0-Catch-ed Mythic Toughness...
Okay, that was just a thought, a massively rough draft.  But I'm not hearing anything helpful or constructive out of you guys, either.  If that's so broken, then I challenge you to make something that isn't.
Tips for the Evil Henchman:
#12. If the seemingly helpless person you have just cornered is confident and unafraid despite being outnumbered and surrounded, you have encountered a Hero in disguise. Run while you still can.

DFRPG Resources Wiki

Offline Tedronai

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2343
  • Damane
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #243 on: April 11, 2011, 03:58:03 AM »
I'd suggest replacing those prerequisites with a simple appropriate aspect, for starters
for the real crunch, though, I'd suggest stress equal to the incoming shifts+1, with further upgrades increasing that linearly, not geometrically
Even Chaotic Neutral individuals have to apologize sometimes. But at least we don't have to mean it.
Slough

Offline ways and means

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1783
  • What Lies in the Truth, what truth in the Lies.
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #244 on: April 11, 2011, 04:14:43 AM »
[-2] Refraction Shield- You can use your turn to create a reflective block to protect yourself (roll conviction), if you are attacked and the block is not pierced then the person attacking recives their weapons rating in damage (as if someone had rolled and tied thier defence). 
« Last Edit: April 11, 2011, 04:17:23 AM by ways and means »
Every night has its day.
Even forever must come to an end....
I think.

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #245 on: April 11, 2011, 07:22:27 PM »
The first is one that hurts people who attack you. Like a porcupine. I'm thinking a version of Riposte here, that does not require you to sacrifice an action, does not let you use a weapon, and only works against unarmed attacks. Upgrades would let it work against other things and give it a weapon rating.

The effect sounds like a Damage Shield, which in most point-based game systems is an upgrade to an existing melee damage power.

So, for this, I would start with Claws (I'm sorry) and add 1 Refresh to make it reactive (I.e., it does base Claw damage to anyone landing a Fists attack.).

The character could still use the power as a Fists attack. Any upgrades which increase the damage of Claws would apply here. But Might shouldn't add into the damage. Should we consider further additions that allow this Damage Shield to respond to (reasonably determined) Weapons attacks as well

I'm not sure how I would adjudicate increasing the damage based on the incoming attack. FATE combat is so abstract to begin with that it is hard to pick a skill and say definitively "this means an attacker takes more damage." Dealing 2 stress per Fists strike to anyone is going to add up, so it may not be a critical rule.
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #246 on: April 11, 2011, 07:54:05 PM »
Why would you be sorry for starting with Claws?

Anyway, here's what I had in mind for the first power. I'm currently wondering whether to go with this or not in light of the new suggestions.

Damage Shield [-1]
Description: For whatever reason, attacking you isn't safe. Maybe you're covered in spikes, or maybe your body flows with 10 000 volts of electricity.
Musts: Nothing in particular.
Effect:
Damage Shield. Whenever a character makes an unarmed attack against you and misses, they take physical stress equal to the number of shifts by which your defence roll exceeds their attack roll. This might also trigger on some maneuvers, if the GM deems it appropriate.
Conductive Damage Shield [-1]. This power works against against all melee attacks, not just unarmed ones.
Reflective Damage Shield [-1]. (Requires Conductive Damage Shield) This power works against all attacks, not just melee ones.
Dangerous Damage Shield [-1]. This power inflicts two additional stress whenever it triggers.
Lethal Damage Shield [-1]. (Requires Dangerous Damage Shield) This power inflicts a further two additional stress when it triggers.
Mutual Damage Shield [-1]. (Requires Dangerous Damage Shield) This power triggers when you are hit as well as when you are missed. Treat the attacker's threshold shifts as negative shifts for the purposes of calculating this power's damage.

I think it might be a little underpowered.

Bibliophile has the right idea for what I intended for the second power. I'm having trouble deciding on a difficulty for the defence roll.
« Last Edit: April 11, 2011, 08:40:21 PM by Sanctaphrax »

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #247 on: April 11, 2011, 08:05:07 PM »
Why would you be sorry for starting with Claws?

Claws (and Breath Weapon) occasionally draw criticism when brought up in balance discussions - nothing more.
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #248 on: April 11, 2011, 08:08:50 PM »
Damage Shield [-1]
Damage Shield. Whenever a character makes an unarmed attack against you and misses, they take physical stress equal to the difference between their attack roll and your defence roll. This might also trigger on some maneuvers, if the GM deems it appropriate.
Mutual Damage Shield [-1]. (Requires Dangerous Damage Shield) This power triggers when you are hit as well as when you are missed. Treat the attacker's threshold shifts as negative shifts for the purposes of calculating this power's damage.

I'm conflicted about this. My reasoning would indicate the opposite: that an opponent only gets hurt when it lands a successful strike, and then maybe an upgrade could have it cause damage even on a miss. At the same time, a success should be a success, and the base power means you can still harm the creature protected with Damage Shield - you just don't want to miss.
« Last Edit: April 11, 2011, 08:34:04 PM by devonapple »
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Offline Tedronai

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2343
  • Damane
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #249 on: April 11, 2011, 08:15:23 PM »
Is the combination of Dangerous and Lethal intended to produce an effective weapon:4 or weapon:6 shield?

I suggest clarifying the wording of the base power.  As it stands, a literal reading of the second clause of the first sentence would include the Mutual upgrade, while the first clause precludes it.  Rewording to 'equal to the number of shifts by which your defense roll exceeds their attack roll' would remove this possible confusion.
Even Chaotic Neutral individuals have to apologize sometimes. But at least we don't have to mean it.
Slough

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #250 on: April 11, 2011, 08:35:09 PM »
Is the combination of Dangerous and Lethal intended to produce an effective weapon:4 or weapon:6 shield?

Weapon:6 was my reading, but since we know the base damage of Claws, it might be safe to explicitly "bringing up the damage to 4/6/etc."
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #251 on: April 11, 2011, 08:39:11 PM »
It's meant to produce a weapon 4 effect. However, it says the opposite of that. Editing now.

Also clarifying first sentence.

And yes, one would expect the "bad touch" power to trigger when you get touched. But this way is mechanically cleaner and doesn't make success bad.

Offline Tedronai

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2343
  • Damane
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #252 on: April 11, 2011, 09:23:28 PM »
of course, in a system where injury from an attack doesn't necessitate that attack actually connecting, the reverse is quite reasonable as well: an attack 'connecting' doesn't necessitate injury, and I would imagine that a creature possessing such a defensive capability as that power is meant to reflect would be more likely to develop defensive techniques emphasizing blocks rather than dodges, or only dodging in such a way as to render the attack non-damaging, while still allowing it to connect
Even Chaotic Neutral individuals have to apologize sometimes. But at least we don't have to mean it.
Slough

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #253 on: April 12, 2011, 02:17:18 AM »
Exactly!

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Custom Power List
« Reply #254 on: April 12, 2011, 02:37:53 AM »
But this way is mechanically cleaner and doesn't make success bad.

Unfortunately, in any game system, that's the exact point of such a power.
But, it is true that we're not playing HERO or Mutants & Masterminds, so I may have to let that go.

Nevertheless, as a reality check (inasmuch as we can have one) can we visualize Karrin Murphy with her martial arts going Aikido on a Fire Elemental and escaping unscathed due to high Fists/good rolls/FATE points?

I suppose if most people rule the fire aura from a Fire Elemental to be an example of Dangerous Mutual Damage Shield, and rule that the porcupine would be just the basic Damage Shield, with a successful Fists check indicating Murphy hit a soft spot?
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets