Author Topic: Balance question on homebrewed stunts  (Read 2374 times)

Offline Cadd

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Balance question on homebrewed stunts
« on: March 20, 2014, 03:00:35 PM »
I won't bother with the names of these, as they're in swedish, but I'd like input on how strong they ought to be - mostly with the restrictions and such.

For a character that's good at eavesdropping, but not to the super-focused point of Listening - is a stunt for a straight +2 to the Eavesdropping trapping ok, or should it have some kind of situational restriction?

The same character is adept at photography, and has pushed it from his original artistic purpose to more...practical...uses. We were thinking of a stunt boosting the Surveillance trapping of Investigation and the Casing trapping of Burglary in situations where he can use a camera to take photos and analyze them later for more details. Should that be a +1 to each of the two applications?


Another character comes from a high-society background, and even if she's been away from it for a while that's where she's at her peak socially.
Would it be too broad with a stunt for +1 to the Chit-Chat, First Impression, Opening Up and Social Defense trappings of Rapport and the Charisma trapping of Presence while in a "high society" function (such as a charity gala, a black-tie dinner, an auction event like in DM etc), of course requiring all the appropriate clothes and trappings to "fit in"?

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Balance question on homebrewed stunts
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2014, 03:09:42 PM »
I won't bother with the names of these, as they're in swedish, but I'd like input on how strong they ought to be - mostly with the restrictions and such.

For a character that's good at eavesdropping, but not to the super-focused point of Listening - is a stunt for a straight +2 to the Eavesdropping trapping ok, or should it have some kind of situational restriction?
I think it should have some kind of situational restriction; every stunt that offers a +2 does.

Quote
The same character is adept at photography, and has pushed it from his original artistic purpose to more...practical...uses. We were thinking of a stunt boosting the Surveillance trapping of Investigation and the Casing trapping of Burglary in situations where he can use a camera to take photos and analyze them later for more details. Should that be a +1 to each of the two applications?
I'm iffy on the rules of a stunt affecting two different skills; personally, I'd pick one or the other and give a +2, since places he could use a camera are going to be limited (or at least, could be--someone taking a bunch of photos of a building should attract some attention).

Quote
Another character comes from a high-society background, and even if she's been away from it for a while that's where she's at her peak socially.
Would it be too broad with a stunt for +1 to the Chit-Chat, First Impression, Opening Up and Social Defense trappings of Rapport and the Charisma trapping of Presence while in a "high society" function (such as a charity gala, a black-tie dinner, an auction event like in DM etc), of course requiring all the appropriate clothes and trappings to "fit in"?
Affecting five trappings over two skills is too broad for one stunt.
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Offline Cadd

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Re: Balance question on homebrewed stunts
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2014, 04:10:11 PM »
I think it should have some kind of situational restriction; every stunt that offers a +2 does.
There are several book stunts that effectively give +2 to a single trapping without any restrictions though... Rumormonger, the various "+2 to initiative" stunts etc...

I'm iffy on the rules of a stunt affecting two different skills; personally, I'd pick one or the other and give a +2, since places he could use a camera are going to be limited (or at least, could be--someone taking a bunch of photos of a building should attract some attention).
What I'm thinking here is basically the "2 effects at half value", like the "+1 and one time increment faster" stunts. It's basically one application, just spread over two skills.

Affecting five trappings over two skills is too broad for one stunt.
Even for such a specific set of circumstances?

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Balance question on homebrewed stunts
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2014, 04:20:28 PM »
I think it should have some kind of situational restriction; every stunt that offers a +2 does.

There are plenty of stunts for which "this trapping" is the entire restriction. Gun Nut, Fleet Of Foot, On My Toes, Paranoid? Probably., Rumormonger...

It works fine, as long as it's for a fairly minor trapping like Eavesdropping.

I'm iffy on the rules of a stunt affecting two different skills; personally, I'd pick one or the other and give a +2, since places he could use a camera are going to be limited (or at least, could be--someone taking a bunch of photos of a building should attract some attention).

Me too.

Not for any logical reason. It just bugs me to see a stunt affecting two skills. If a player really wanted to go with it, though, I'd allow it.

Offline PirateJack

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Re: Balance question on homebrewed stunts
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2014, 06:10:54 PM »
The same character is adept at photography, and has pushed it from his original artistic purpose to more...practical...uses. We were thinking of a stunt boosting the Surveillance trapping of Investigation and the Casing trapping of Burglary in situations where he can use a camera to take photos and analyze them later for more details. Should that be a +1 to each of the two applications?

I'd go with one or the other because using a camera for Surveillance and using one to Case a building are very different skills. It's not so much the camera that's important, as much as it is about the person behind it.
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Offline Cadd

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Re: Balance question on homebrewed stunts
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2014, 07:17:36 PM »
Ok, cool! Thanks for the input people! :D