Custom Powers Master List (Work In Progress)

[Gatts]

I'm not sure on the rest, but I'm very pro quality control. It's much easier for everyone if the powers are balanced and identically formatted. If you're worried about being the Custom Power Tyrant, you can always ask other people to look over your changes like you usually do.

[Sanctaphrax]

In my experience, other people are rarely all that interested in doing this kind of thing.

So I could end up as Custom Power Tyrant despite trying to avoid that fate.

[Gatts]

Then as long as you do your best, I'm open to a Benevolent Custom Power List Dictatorship.

[GrendalGornych]

Howdy..
a thought for a custom power thing..

how would you describe/stat the abilities of a cat/human?
meaning . somebody that can .. land on their feet, twist their body around, the loose skeletal structure of a cat..
claws and Eyesight.
Mostly use Aspects?

[Sanctaphrax]

Claws, Echoes Of The Beast, Inhuman Speed, and an Aspect. Maybe also Cloak Of Shadows.

Then as long as you do your best, I'm open to a Benevolent Custom Power List Dictatorship.

I've given this some thought, and I've decided what I'm going to do.

I'll keep the main list as-is, without quality control. But I'll make a second list, which will contain only Powers I would allow a player to use in one of my games. The second list will probably have a section for Powers which I use despite knowing that they are flawed.

That way we can have both an unbiased list which contains everything and a biased list which contains the good (in my opinion) stuff.

Obviously, you can try to change the second list by convincing me that Power X is good/bad.

Also: I encourage other GMs to submit their own personal lists. I'll link them in the first post alongside my own list. That way we can have a Custom Power Democracy. Plus, your players will undoubtedly find it helpful to know what you'll allow.

[S1C0]

at  Sanctaphrax

Sorry about the delay on my reply, a separate list probably would be quick and easy

other than that try keeping the format simple and applied to all powers in the resorce .
   

[polkaneverdies]

I like the idea of your newly founded democracy.

[Sanctaphrax]

Looks like the second list plan is a go.

But first, here's the first part of the planned update to the first list.

Stuff I did:

-Tweaked Living Threshold so that its weapon rating varies and it lets you punch ghosts.
-Edited Shadow Rip and Shadow Rend so that they don't require Powers not on the list anymore.
-Edited Puppeteer to not refer to the IoP that the Power was originally made for.
-Reformatted Sponsor.
-Reformatted Aura Of Influence.
-Removed Conceptual Thaumaturgy.
-Added Enthrallment, Reality Marble, Reality Marble, Puppeteer, Shapeshifting Disguise, Aura of Obscurity, Shadow Rip, Shadow Wraith, Long Reach, Telekinesis, Living Threshold, and The Lord Is My Shepherd.
-Added IP?... Please instead of editing Noob Security Systems to not reference IP?... Please.
-Edited Emperor Blessed Tech.
-Removed old versions of Telekinesis and Long Reach.
-Corrected a typo in Bag Of Tricks.

Stuff I still need to do:

-Collect the various "attach this to an IoP" Powers (Spiritual Weapon, Manifested Blade, the whole Shape-shifting Weapon series) and edit them into something good. Get ways and means to help if possible.
-Finish Super Math and add it to the list.
-Rewrite the Scarlet Sword Form Powers. Get ways and means to help if possible.
-Edit Phantom Slashes to make it more clear. Get ways and means to tell me what it was supposed to do if possible.
-Correct sundry typos, etc.
-Consider new sorting system.
-Make second list.

Stuff I removed:

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LONG REACH [-1]
Description: You have very long arms or some other advantage that lets you punch someone from the other side of a room.
Skills Affected: Might, Fists, Weapons, other skills
Effects:
Long Reach. You have a basic range of one zone. Among other benefits, this extends the distance at which you may make unarmed and melee weapon attacks, maneuvers, blocks, and grapples.
Extended Reach [-1]. You have a basic range of three zones. Among other benefits, this extends the distance at which you may make unarmed and melee weapon attacks, maneuvers, blocks, and grapples.
Restricted Reach [+1]. (Requires Extended Reach) Your Extended Reach power applies only to a specific type of action, like swinging swords or picking pockets.

TELEKINESIS [-3]
Description: You can exert physical force with the power of your mind alone.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline
Effects:
Mind Over Matter. You may use your mind to exert force upon targets within your line of sight. This allows you to use all applications of the Might skill at a distance, using your Conviction skill instead of your Might skill. You may also perform other physical tasks mentally with your line of sight, using your Discipline skill to represent your dexterity.
Telekinetic Attacks. You may make physical attacks and maneuvers against targets within your line of sight using your mental powers. These attacks and maneuvers are controlled with Discipline and may be made with or without a melee weapon. Attacks made with this power without a weapon are weapon: 2.
Blades Of Force [-1]. When using Telekinetic Attacks without a weapon, your attacks are weapon: 4.
Force Field [-1]. You are protected by a shell of telekinetic power. You may use your Discipline skill to defend against physical attacks or to create physical blocks.
Telekinetic Self-Propulsion [-2]. Your telekinesis is strong enough to let you carry yourself. This allows you to fly as though you had the Wings power, using Discipline instead of Athletics to move around in the air.
Metaphysical Strength [-0]. (Requires Inhuman Or Better Strength) Your Strength powers apply to your Telekinesis rather than to your physical body. This increases your Conviction when using it to lift or break things, helps with your mental grapples, and increases the stress inflicted by your Telekinetic Attacks.
Unification Of Mind And Body [-1]. (Requires Metaphysical Strength) Your Strength powers apply to both your Telekinesis and your physical body. This provides all the benefits of Metaphysical Strength alongside all the benefits of ordinary strength.

Conceptual Thaumaturgy [-2]
As a massively skilled practitioner of the arts you can cast Thaumaturgical spells up to your starting complexity without the props by working through the magic in your head. As the spell is taking place in your head you can only take backlash instead of fallout when casting.  This allows on the fly casting of low level Thaumaturgical spells at some risk to the caster.

As always, feedback is welcome.

[Sanctaphrax]

Did a bit of digging, came across two more Powers that I should add. One of 'em is actually an edited version of something on the list.

Might do a bit of editing before adding these.

ALTERNATE MAGICAL PARADIGM [-1]
Description: Your magic is different from everyone else's. Where most practitioners cast spells with mental strength and magical knowledge, you use other methods.
Musts: You must possess at least one spellcasting power in order to take this one.
Skills Affected: Any three.
Effects:
Alternate Magical Paradigm. Pick three skills. For the purposes of any spellcasting Powers you possess, use the first in place of your Conviction, the second in place of your Discipline, and the third in place of your Lore.
No Shenanigans. If any of your Powers or Stunts provide a bonus to one of the skills you picked, that bonus does not apply to your spellcasting.

Evothaum [-1] Your mastery of whatevermancy has allowed you to use it far faster than most others. Gain the ability to use whatevermancy at Evocation's methods and speeds, as described in the Sponsored Magic sections (YS Page 288).

[vultur]

Evothaum [-1] Your mastery of whatevermancy has allowed you to use it far faster than most others. Gain the ability to use whatevermancy at Evocation's methods and speeds, as described in the Sponsored Magic sections (YS Page 288).

Actually, I was just going to post a question about this...

I'd suggest the name be "Mastery of <Whatever>". e.g. "Mastery of Divination", "Mastery of Biomancy" etc.

[Sanctaphrax]

Sure, sounds good to me.

[Sanctaphrax]

ways and means hasn't gotten back to me, so I guess I'm going to have to do this alone. Without his help I don't know what to do with the Scarlet Sword series or with Phantom Slashes, so I guess I'm giving up on those agenda items.

But I can still make an attempt at the "attach this to a weapon" Powers.

Here goes...

The old Powers:

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-0 Manifested Blade (As the blade is not truly of the mortal world keeping it in this world requires mental effort, summoning the item for a scene requires a point of mental stress at the end of the scene unless another point of stress is taken the item will disappear until summoned again.)

-2 Spiritual Weapon ( As a weapon designed to sever the soul from the body its blows do more than physical harm, the blade can cause mental stress instead physical stress, anyone taken out this way will die as their soul is separated from their body leaving no signs of physical harm.)

Shape-shifting Weapon [-1] Your weapon is weightless in your hands and can change its shape either remaining the same size or shrinking. (attache to a IoP)

Giant Weapons [-1] (requires shape-shifting weaponry) Your weapon can now be made much bigger (add +2 to base weapons rating) Giant Weapons are very large and noticeable (at least person sized).

Mega Weapons (requires giant weapon) [-2] Your weapons can become obscenely over sized (car sized or Bigger) they hit for an extra 4 stress and have a zone wide radius of damage.

Giga Weapons (requires mega weapons) [-2] Your weapon can become unbelievably massive (house sized or bigger) they hit for an extra 6 stress and have a two zone radius.

I think Giant Weapons and its upgrades can be modelled with Natural Weaponry upgrades. So I'll just add a note saying that some Natural Weaponry upgrades are appropriate for Items of Power.

Spiritual Weapon probably doesn't need to be weapon-specific. I'll rename it Spiritual Attack and make it prettier. Apart from that it seems fine...actually, it probably shouldn't work with Strength. But otherwise it seems fine.

Manifested Blade and Shape-shifting Weapon are already included in Item Limitation. But not everybody uses that Power, so I guess I shouldn't delete them. I think I'll revise them into Powers that change the IoP rebate to +1 or to +0.

That's the plan, anyway. We'll see how it works out.

[Sanctaphrax]

Finished Super Math and edited the two Powers from my post on the 16th.

Feedback would be welcome, especially if it includes a better name for Super Math.

(click to show/hide)

ALTERNATE MAGICAL PARADIGM [-1]
Description: Your magic is different from everyone else's. Where most practitioners cast spells with mental strength and magical knowledge, you use other methods.
Musts: You must possess at least one spellcasting power in order to take this one.
Skills Affected: Any three.
Effects:
Alternate Magical Paradigm. Pick three skills. For the purposes of any spellcasting Powers you possess, use the first in place of your Conviction, the second in place of your Discipline, and the third in place of your Lore.
No Shenanigans. If any of your Powers or Stunts provide a bonus to one of the skills you picked, that bonus does not apply to your spellcasting unless it only applies to your spellcasting.

MASTERY OF SPELLCASTING [-1]
Description: Your mastery of some magical field allows you to use its spells far faster than a normal spellcaster.
Musts: You must be able to cast ritual spells in the selected field in order to take this Power.
Note: When you write the name of this Power on your character sheet, replace "spellcasting" with the field you chose.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline, Lore
Effects:
Evothaum. Select a field of Thaumaturgy - that is, something you could take a complexity or control specialization in. You may cast spells from that field with the speed and methods of Evocation.

SUPER MATH [-3]
Description: You're good with numbers. Really good. You have the creativity and intuition of a great mathematician mixed with the speed and precision of a supercomputer.
Skills Affected: Scholarship, Lore, Craftsmanship
Effects:
Calculator Brain. You can do arithmetic and design graphs near-instantly and you never miscalculate. You effectively have a graphing calculator and a spreadsheet in your brain.
Perfect Measurement. You can count perfectly at a glance, and your estimated measurements are almost flawless. You never need more than a single action to Assess something numerical. Add 4 to your Scholarship skill when using it for a numerical Assessment or Declaration.
Good With Numbers. Add 8 to your Scholarship skill when performing pure mathematics. Add 6 to your Scholarship skill for physics, computer programming, and other forms of applied math. Add 4 to your Scholarship skill for economics, chemistry, engineering, and other math-heavy disciplines. Add 2 to your Scholarship, Craftsmanship, and Lore skills when doing anything that involves math in any meaningful way.

[Gatts]

Feedback would be welcome, especially if it includes a better name for Super Math.

Mathematical Savant?  Living Computer? Numerical Prodigy? Just throwing out some suggestions.

[S1C0]

Try Poly-math it is the word for all around scientists who mainly use math skills at the core