Custom Power List

[Sanctaphrax]

Scarlet Sword Form probably isn't broken, but I don't like accuracy-boosting powers. If you rewrite it so that it doesn't stack with other accuracy boosters, then maybe it'd be better. Still, it's kinda bland. Also, I think it ought to alter your behaviour.

You know, I think a modified version of Human Form could work here.

Also, you call it Warp Spasm in the next power. You may want to fix that.

Crimson Blade has stacking issues too. It provides a huge damage bonus at a very high cost, which stacks with other damage bonuses. So the maximum weapon damage becomes much higher. Which probably isn't a good thing.

As the game is written right now, you have to diversify after a while. Because your competency "caps out" if you focus in a specific field. I like it that way.

Anyway, Scarlet Wave is probably reasonable-ish.

Curved Cut might be ridiculously powerful, but it's hard to tell. Could you provide an example of it in action?

[ways and means]

Curved Cut is pretty powerful (though it does require a fate point) in narrative terms it would run something like this you shoot a beam of energy at your enemy with your sword you appear to miss your enemy and then they are totally surprised when they are struck from behind. The enemy has to figure out your attack was a feint (alertness roll vs your weapons skill) or they are counted as ambushed and don't get a defence modifier. Its basicly trick shot with sword magic.

Scarlet Sword Form is basicly true aim + a weapons accuracy stunt + a weapons defence stunt + human form ie 2 refresh though it definatly is not meant to stack with any off those stunts or powers. It should alter a person behaviour being something of a Hyde Form powered by bloodlust but the only way I can think to do that is aspects. Any ideas how I could make it interesting I thought a power which consumes your life and makes you eyes glow red was pretty cool in a silly kind of way.

Crimson Blade isn't meant to stack with any stunts, or other powers besides strength powers, it does up the top melee weapons rating by 2-4 depending on the skill level but by the point that this power becomes really powerful magic so far esclipses melee that I don't think that it is unbalanced.      

[Silverblaze]

Curved Cut sounds like a good way to kill people fast.

[jadecourtflunky]

Curved cut sounds like the perfect way to humiliate bad guys.


Outside of Time and Space -3

You are effectively outside of time and space. You can't touch anything, and it can't touch you. You can be seen and heard, but that's it. You can be anywhere at any time.
Knowledge is all I've got: Add +2 to all knowledge skills.
Insubstantial: You cannot affect anything physically, but it can't affect you. Pysical Immunity: Everything, but everything is immune to you too.
Anywhere, Anywhen: Zone borders do not affect you. You can be anywhere you want, at any time. Ever. You can even have several yous in the same timespace.


This is only for support character, but can make for a funny NPC. In a non-stat roleplay I once played, a guy was like this. He got so bored due to his insubstantiality, he had watched every movie he could find and could quote them all almost perfectly. This really isn't a serious power, but if you guys want to help me balance it more you can.

[Belial666]

Outside of Time and Space

Really, really, really broken. You can literally send any amount of "yous" to search for stuff and find everyone or everything you want (by simply searching in all of a city's or country's or continent's zones) in an exchange or two and then use several "yous" to pass along the info to people who can do stuff about it really fast. Essentially, you can shape the world via blackmail and trafficking of information, and nobody can do anything about it.

[jadecourtflunky]

As I said, it's not a serious power, nor is it suggested for anything other than NPCs. Yes, it is broken though.. I aknowledge that.

[Sanctaphrax]

Probably best not to bother with a refresh cost, then.

I've been thinking about accuracy-boosting powers, and I've concluded that making them count as stunts for stacking purposes would solve a lot of my problems. What do people think of that?

[jadecourtflunky]

Also, you do still have a mental stress track and a social one. If someone using this power was doing this, the Blackstaff would probably get ahold of him, somehow summon him (true name summoning and thresholds still work too) and simply blow up his mind.

[Belial666]

making them count as stunts for stacking purposes would solve a lot of my problems.

I really, really, really don't like it. Why? Two reasons;

1) Speed Powers give a defense bonus. Strength powers do not give an accuracy bonus. To keep things equal, powers (and stunts) that boost accuracy must exist.
2) Defense stunts and powers are currently more effective that accuracy boosters.
3) I'd prefer PCs and NPCs of high refresh having something like accuracy 8-9 with weapon 6-8 rather than accuracy 6 and weapon 12-14 for the same cost. The first one makes for a steady but slightly slower combat. The second makes for combat that only lucky rolls matter.



And yes, a mythically strong guy dual-wielding quarter-ton maces or I-beams or rails in each hand has weapon 12 (6 strength, 4 weapon, 2 dual-wield). It only costs -7 refresh, leaving enough refresh for supernatural toughness. He will only hit at superb but being hit by him would feel like being hit by a locomotive.

[ways and means]

The degree of stackability for melee will never compair to the degree of stackability for magic: focus item 1-8 (possible with legendary lore),  specialisation 1-8 (ok even with legendary lore this is pushing 50 refresh) + lawbreaker 1-3. A potential +19 to accuracy and 16 to power, when you compare the furthest you can go with melee accuracy +4: +1 for true aim, +1 for blood drinker and +2 for a stunt.  You can boost melee weapons rating further up to 13 (+5 for ridiculously oversized weapon say 10ft of Obsidian, +2 for a stunt and +6 for mythic strength) but this still caps out lower than magic  which can get weapon rating up to 25 easily (again at legendary levels) significantly higher than melee.  Your rule seems to be gimping non-magic as compaired to magic even further. I am not even going to go into what epic level thamturgy can do compared to melee, there is just no point.

[Sanctaphrax]

You make a compelling argument, Belial. I'll have to give this some more thought.

Although I like the way that superior defences encourage maneuvers and Declarations.

Also, keeping accuracy low gives weaker characters a chance of survival.

And the Strength and Speed bonuses are more interesting to me than any accuracy bonus I've seen. When you buy Mythic Strength, you don't just buy +6 stress. You also buy a bunch of other stuff. Most of the accuracy bonus powers aren't like that.

I worry that players will just take whatever gives to-hit bonuses, regardless of their concept. This isn't an issue with Strength, since it's very unlikely for Strength to be incompatible with a concept focused on massive physical damage.

Honestly, most of what I've said about accuracy bonuses applies to stress boosts too. Which is why I try to be careful about those, too. Anything that goes beyond Strength + weapon + stunt makes me antsy.

You know, if we had a building block physical power that increased accuracy this wouldn't be a problem. But then we'd have combat characters that always hit, which would be a different problem.

Oh, and ways and means? Magic's stackability is heavily limited. The return on Refinement diminishes drastically as you purchase it.

[ways and means]

Oh, and ways and means? Magic's stackability is heavily limited. The return on Refinement diminishes drastically as you purchase it.

Cough Cough Focus Items (no slippery slope for them)
Though if you want an example of an under 10 refresh spell caster having more accuracy than a melee fighter could ever have no matter what the refresh, take the example of the

Kemmlerite Necromancer -

Evocation -3
Thamaturgy -3
5th Law breaker -2
Kemmlerite Necromancy -1

Focus Item +4 Necromancy Control
+1 Spirit Power Specialisation
+1 Necromancy Control Specialisation

Total Control Boost- 12 Weapons Rating 6-9 (reasonably)

The most a submerged melee fantatic can get is +9 and that is only when obeying his higher power after already hitting somebody.  

[Silverblaze]

I really, really, really don't like it. Why? Two reasons;

1) Speed Powers give a defense bonus. Strength powers do not give an accuracy bonus. To keep things equal, powers (and stunts) that boost accuracy must exist.
2) Defense stunts and powers are currently more effective that accuracy boosters.
3) I'd prefer PCs and NPCs of high refresh having something like accuracy 8-9 with weapon 6-8 rather than accuracy 6 and weapon 12-14 for the same cost. The first one makes for a steady but slightly slower combat. The second makes for combat that only lucky rolls matter.



And yes, a mythically strong guy dual-wielding quarter-ton maces or I-beams or rails in each hand has weapon 12 (6 strength, 4 weapon, 2 dual-wield). It only costs -7 refresh, leaving enough refresh for supernatural toughness. He will only hit at superb but being hit by him would feel like being hit by a locomotive.

agreed on all fronts


"Cough Cough Focus Items" --- these can be destroyed if the GM needs breathing room..for better or worse.  I'm not agreeing nor disagreeing just stating a fact. it aids and harms both sides of the debate honestly

[Silverblaze]

I propose a power or stunt for "blind fighting".  Do we have one yet?

There is no system for swingign at invisible things or being in total darkness is there?  Other than perhaps a maneuver or aspect?

As a community I think we need one. (system and corresponding stunt to negate it).  Glamours causing invisibility and the power Myrk sort of necessitates something of the like.  Perhaps just a negation of the manuever blind or pitch dark. This is equal to a plus 2 bonus no?

[Belial666]

@accuracy powers/stunts;
If you are worried about the numbers side of things, here are some things you can do;

1) In order to have accuracy or dodge powers, request the character's concept include skill of some sort. A brute like Magog for example has no accuracy boosters despite being a primary melee denarian.

2) Impose some sort of soft cap. I.e. request your players that their attack skill modifiers be no higher than skill+3, the same level supernatural speed + stunts can bring them. If you are in a high refresh game, that would be skill+4, the same level mythic speed + stunts can bring them. This would be for static bonuses though, not abilities that cost FP or stress. (those need to be on par with magic so no cap)

3) Accept no new accuracy powers. When players suggest a new attack boosting power or stunt, it will be considered a reflavor of an existing power and not stack with it. That way, you only ever need to worry about the accuracy boosters already in the book.


@magic:
Yeah, it can get really powerful really fast. At submerged, a weapon 10 control 11 caster is doable without any powers offering rebate (IoPs, Dependency, Human Form). At twice submerged refresh, you are looking at weapon 17 control 19 for really strong warlocks. That does not so much create an imbalance between casters and other character types as make any combat that involves a caster a game of ICBM tag; who goes first nukes and wins. That is why I usually set aside about 1/4 of the refresh of any casters I play to get non-blasting stuff.
As for foci, some foci are easily broken. But others are much less so. If instead of a wooden rod you make a tungsten bracelet, hide the bracelet under your sleeve, wear several identical bracelets (1 focus and 3-4 fake foci) and conceal each bracelet under its own veil, it is considerably more difficult to get your foci removed. Of course, if a strong opponent is close enough to attempt to break your foci, they are also close enough to attempt to break you.