Author Topic: Homebrew Stunts  (Read 61422 times)

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #105 on: November 20, 2010, 01:24:03 AM »
I also think that By The Book and Master Of The Arcane should be disallowed, but not because they relate to powers. My problem with them is that they reduce the number of spellcasting skills. If the skill used was something other than Lore, Discipline, or Conviction, it would probably be okay. The fact that you need three skills is one of the balancing factors for magic.

Was That Supposed To Hurt? looks good. And it doesn't need to have a catch.

Tbora

  • Guest
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #106 on: November 20, 2010, 01:30:51 AM »
I also think that By The Book and Master Of The Arcane should be disallowed, but not because they relate to powers. My problem with them is that they reduce the number of spellcasting skills. If the skill used was something other than Lore, Discipline, or Conviction, it would probably be okay. The fact that you need three skills is one of the balancing factors for magic.

Was That Supposed To Hurt? looks good. And it doesn't need to have a catch.

Keep in mind you /are/ paying 2 refresh for both of those stunts, and in a submerged game, that leaves you with nothing left for refinement or something to spend on other things. The refresh cost seems to balance it in the for me imo.

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #107 on: November 20, 2010, 01:43:06 AM »
Those stunts might not be all that overpowered in a submerged game, but at higher levels where Refinements become less effective due to the pyramid rules these stunts are incredible. They apply to all elements and fields, and they allow you to cast everything from your highest stat. If you don't believe me, make a high-refresh wizard with peaked Lore and non-peaked Discipline/Conviction. These stunts will make Refinement look pathetic.

Offline ralexs1991

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 293
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #108 on: November 20, 2010, 03:56:13 PM »
Those stunts might not be all that overpowered in a submerged game, but at higher levels where Refinements become less effective due to the pyramid rules these stunts are incredible. They apply to all elements and fields, and they allow you to cast everything from your highest stat. If you don't believe me, make a high-refresh wizard with peaked Lore and non-peaked Discipline/Conviction. These stunts will make Refinement look pathetic.

I'm with Sanctaphrax here it's be like having all three casting skills at the skill cap level which would allow for some off the wall powerful spells
Oh, hi, Mr. Warden!  How are you this fine day?  My, what a shiny sword you have there...

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #109 on: November 21, 2010, 02:36:02 AM »
I'd like to go back a bit and look at two stunts that devonapple posted: Brutal and Really Brutal. I like the ideas behind both, but the execution bothers me. Brutal is simple and follows the rules well, but since maneuvers don't last very long the maiming that you inflict with it won't have the effects that it should. Really Brutal is a bit complex and not very elegant, but there really should be a way to force consequences in this game. Here's how I would make a stunt based around crippling attacks:

Brutality (Fists): You may use maneuvers to inflict consequences. In order to do so, first state the name, level, and type of consequence that you would like to inflict. Then make an ordinary attack with the skill that you are using for the maneuver. If that attack hits and inflicts stress equal to or greater than the value of the consequence, then that consequence is inflicted. Extra stress is wasted, as is the entire maneuver if it misses or fails to inflict enough stress.

Note 1: This doesn't work with skills that can't be used to attack.
Note 2: You can't take consequences to defend against maneuvers made with this stunt.

So, how does that look?

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #110 on: November 21, 2010, 05:01:48 AM »
So, how does that look?

Much more elegant! Thank you!
"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: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #111 on: December 04, 2010, 01:58:29 AM »
Well, it's been almost two weeks since anyone last posted here. And in that time, both this thread and the master list associated with it have fallen out of date. Time to change that, I think. So, for your delight and edification, here are the stunts that I'll be adding to the master list. Some of these are already on this thread, some are new (at least to this thread), and some are new edits to stunts that are already on the list.


Alertness:    

The Advantage Of Familiarity: There are benefits to knowing a place really well. Pick a location or a small neighbourhood. Add to any roll made to notice or investigate something unusual in this area.
Sentry: You have the ability to wait, devoting your full effort to watchfulness, for hours on end. Add two to your Alertness skill as long as you stand and watch.
Wily: Your survival depends on quickly assessing your surroundings for threats and resources. You may use your Alertness skill instead of your Investigation skill to search an area, but you won't necessarily understand what you've found.

Burglary:

Five-Fingered Discount: Why buy what you can steal? You may use your Burglary skill instead of your Resources skill to “buy” things. Everything “bought” this way has the aspect “Stolen Property”.
Specialized Criminal: Thieves have specialties, just like scientists. Pick a type of thing that can be burgled (eg. banks, apartments). Add two to your Burglary skill when using it against that type of thing.

Contacts:

Networking: Networking is an important skill for a businessman, and you have it. Add two to your Contacts skill when using it in a corporate context.
Salesman's Network: All good salesmen build up a network of satisfied customers over time. Pick a type of product. Add two to your Contacts skill when looking for or dealing with makers, sellers, or notable consumers of that type of product.

Deceit:

Faustian Pact: Your job is to trick people into signing unfair contracts. Add two to your Deceit skill when using it to convince someone to make a deal.

Discipline:

Reflexive Shield: Magic is the only defence you need. When you are attacked, you may sacrifice your next action to cast a defensive evocation.

Driving:

Sailor: For you, Driving would be better described as “Sailing.” Pick a type of water vehicle. Increase your Driving skill by one when using it to operate watercraft, or by two if the watercraft is part of your chosen vehicle type.

Endurance:

Was That Supposed To Hurt?: You are TOUGH. You don't avoid attacks, you just take them right. Use your Endurance skill to “dodge” attacks.

Fists:

Destroyer Of Abominations: You hit harder when your enemy is something blasphemous. All attacks that you make with the Fists skill inflict two additional stress to creatures that are an offense to your faith.
Brutality: Your style of fighting verges upon the sadistic. You may use manoeuvres to inflict consequences. In order to do so, first state the name, level, and type of consequence that you would like to inflict. Then make an ordinary attack with the skill that you are using for the manoeuvre. If that attack hits and inflicts stress equal to or greater than the value of the consequence, then that consequence is inflicted. Extra stress is wasted, as is the entire manoeuvre if it misses or fails to inflict enough stress.
Extreme Brutality: (Requires Brutality) Your style of combat doesn’t just verge on the sadistic, it wallows in it. In order to use the Brutality stunt to inflict a consequence, you need only inflict stress equal to the value of the consequence minus two.

Guns:

Sea Urchin Launcher Wielder: You are proficient in the use of the weapons of the Fomor people who live beneath the sea. Add one to your Guns skill when using it to attack with Fomor weapons.

Intimidation:

Torturer: You have the complete lack of mercy that is needed to torture someone properly. You may use your Intimidation skill to inflict mental stress as long as your target is entirely within your power.

Investigation

Never Miss A Beat: You are a seasoned investigator, and your keen eye alerts you to danger. Use your Investigation skill instead of your Alertness skill to avoid surprise.

Presence:

Professional Attitude: You take your job so seriously that it’s hard to believe that you have a life outside of it. Add one to all of your social skills when at work.

Rapport:

Excellent Negotiator: You’ve been trained to negotiate the best deal possible. Add two to your Rapport skill when there's money at stake.

Resources:

Sponsored Resources: You have a powerful patron who will sometimes let you borrow money and goods. When you take this stunt, select an entity or organization of great wealth to be your sponsor. Once per session, you may add four to your Resources skill for a single roll as long as that roll somehow benefits the agenda of your sponsor. If you do, you take a point of sponsor debt as if you had used Sponsored Magic.

Scholarship:

Master Of Riddles: Your intelligence lets you run circles around those you talk to. This may take the form of actual riddles, or perhaps just complex logical arguments. You may use your Scholarship skill to make social attacks. Attacks with Scholarship can be defended against with Rapport, Scholarship, and sometimes Empathy.

Survival:

Fisherman: You fish. It’s how you get your food. When attempting to Live Off The Land in an area of water, add three to your Survival skill.

Offline UmbraLux

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1685
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #112 on: December 04, 2010, 09:18:34 PM »
Discipline:

Reflexive Shield: Magic is the only defence you need. When you are attacked, you may sacrifice your next action to cast a defensive evocation.
My interpretation is you can defend with magic (or any appropriate skill) without losing your next action already. 
Quote from: YS252
During the fight, she charges at Harry, who uses spirit magic to raise a magical shield to deflect her......the spirit is quite powerful and in her native demesne (page 170); she rolls an attack at Epic (+7), beating both Harry’s block and his normal defense.
  So the stunt seems worse than the standard rules.
--
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.”  - Albert Einstein

"Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength."  - Eric Hoffer

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #113 on: December 04, 2010, 10:44:38 PM »
There are a few comments on the page after the one you quoted that address that. They say that by the RAW you can't defend with evocations, but that it's open to houseruling. Of course, if you're using that houserule then you probably shouldn't be using this stunt. Although the stunt does allow you to use evocation for armour and defensive maneuvers, so maybe you'd want to use it anyway. As always, it's up to the players and GM.

Thanks for your criticism, by the way. I need more of that.

Offline UmbraLux

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1685
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #114 on: December 05, 2010, 04:53:46 AM »
If you do make it a stunt, I'd consider allowing the reflexive action without taking up the next turn.  It's costly enough taking at least one stress box, if you're paying refresh for the ability it shouldn't also take your next action. 

I can't find any text stating you can't cast as a defensive reaction.  In fact, YS259 has another example that appears to be a reactive spell (a block cast when ambushed).  One other reason I considered it as standard is the stress requirement - that's an inherent limitation.  Every spell the wizard spends on reactive defense is one less spent on laying down extreme firepower.  :)
--
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.”  - Albert Einstein

"Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength."  - Eric Hoffer

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #115 on: December 05, 2010, 06:38:20 AM »
The text stating that you can't cast as a defensive reaction is in a sidebar on page 253 of Your Story.

Now, I'm dead certain that this stunt as written should consume your next action. But as written this stunt allows you to do a lot more than I think you think it does. You can roll your normal defense in addition to your evocation, and your evocation can be a lot more than just a block against one attack. It can be armour, a block with an extended duration, or perhaps even a maneuver. All of these options make spending your next action quite worthwhile.

If you took away those options, I think it might be balanced to let you evoke as a defense without spending an action. You're quite right about the value of stress boxes, and the current rules don't offer much reason to block single attacks with magic. So I'll put up a second, non-action-consuming version of this stunt once I figure out how to word it elegantly.

Offline UmbraLux

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1685
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #116 on: December 05, 2010, 06:54:39 AM »
The text stating that you can't cast as a defensive reaction is in a sidebar on page 253 of Your Story.
Thanks for pointing it out!  I kept bypassing the sidebar...

Quote
Now, I'm dead certain that this stunt as written should consume your next action. But as written this stunt allows you to do a lot more than I think you think it does. You can roll your normal defense in addition to your evocation, and your evocation can be a lot more than just a block against one attack. It can be armour, a block with an extended duration, or perhaps even a maneuver. All of these options make spending your next action quite worthwhile.

If you took away those options, I think it might be balanced to let you evoke as a defense without spending an action. You're quite right about the value of stress boxes, and the current rules don't offer much reason to block single attacks with magic. So I'll put up a second, non-action-consuming version of this stunt once I figure out how to word it elegantly.
That's cool...I had read it as replacing a defensive roll instead of an additional roll.
--
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.”  - Albert Einstein

"Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength."  - Eric Hoffer

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12405
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #117 on: December 05, 2010, 08:08:03 PM »
Discipline:

Reflexive Shield (second variation): Magic is the only defence you need. Whenever you would roll to defend yourself physically, you may instead cast an evocation and use the result of that evocation as your defence roll.

How does that look? I'd like to change the name before adding it to the master list, but nothing comes to mind.

Offline Peteman

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 102
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #118 on: December 15, 2010, 04:10:12 AM »
Placing this in its proper place:

Guns

This... Is My BOOMSTICK!

Add +1 to attacks made with Shotguns, provided you can incorporate a cheesy one-liner in the combat.

Offline Drashna

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 245
    • View Profile
Re: Homebrew Stunts
« Reply #119 on: December 15, 2010, 04:41:46 AM »
@Sanctaphrax:  how about "at a moments notice", "without a second thought", or "Instinctive defense"?
[qoute='piotr1600']Sure true love will conquer all... You sponsored an instant vision of a tentacled Cthuluoid monstrosity following Elaine around, meeping piteously and making puppy dog eyes at her while she sighs loudly and gently kisses those tentacles...[/qoute]