Custom Power List

[JayTee]

New idea for a power, feedback please?

Self-Sponsored Magic -4, plus or minus additional constraints

You've studied a branch of magic long enough to understand and use it intuitivly without resorting to complex rituals. Pick a magical theme or element as per traditional Sponsored Magic, when casting a spell any Sponsor Debt you gain now act as Compels on your Aspects that you DO NOT gain Fate Points from, likewise you must still pay Fate Points to resist a Compel. A GM may allow you to Self-Compel to pay off a part of your Debt, but you would still not gain any Fate Points (Self-Compels or regular Compels that do not pay off Debt still earn Fate Points normally).

[Sanctaphrax]

I like the idea of Self-Sponsored Magic, but I am unable to understand the mechanics. Please explain further.

Skepticism Beyond Reason has problems. To start:

1. It should cost more. The increased cost on other powers is not a good way to balance an undercosted power.
2. Some of its effects are hard to understand.
3. The anti-faerie thing makes little sense to me. How is it connected to the rest of the power?
4. If this is a power, then it's a power. Saying otherwise makes little sense.

[JayTee]

I like the idea of Self-Sponsored Magic, but I am unable to understand the mechanics. Please explain further.

It basically takes all the mechanics of regular Sponsored Magic, but as YOU are the Sponsor there is no alternate Agenda that the Sponsor wishes you to fulfill (Winter's hatred of Summer, Hellfire's desire to spread suffering) other than your own. This means that any "Debt" you acquire only goes to yourself, in the form of Debt Compels that the GM can send your way that you don't gain Fate Points from like regular Compels. Alternately the player can chose to Self-Compel without gaining Fate Points for it in order to pay of his "Debt Compels".

Likewise the "Plus or Minus additional constraints" Mentioned above is in case you wish to add an extra benefit to your Magic, such as Soulfire's ability to reduce Toughness Powers.

Did this help? I feel like I just rephrased everything in the original power, which means it probably didn't. Could you specify what you don't understand about the mechanics of it if I didn't elaborate on it well enough?

[ways and means]

I like the idea of Self-Sponsored Magic, but I am unable to understand the mechanics. Please explain further.

Skepticism Beyond Reason has problems. To start:

1. It should cost more. The increased cost on other powers is not a good way to balance an undercosted power.
2. Some of its effects are hard to understand.
3. The anti-faerie thing makes little sense to me. How is it connected to the rest of the power?
4. If this is a power, then it's a power. Saying otherwise makes little sense.

The Anti-Fairy thing is a reference to Peter Pan where if you say I don't believe in fairies (clap clap clap) then a fairy falls down dead.

[Silverblaze]

The Anti-Fairy thing is a reference to Peter Pan where if you say I don't believe in fairies (clap clap clap) then a fairy falls down dead.

It'd be hilarious...OP, but hilarious.

[Sanctaphrax]

The faerie thing is amusing, but not a good justification for the inclusion of that effect.

Going by that description, Self-Sponsored Magic isn't so much a power as a template for power creation. So I can't really evaluate it. But what there is looks goodish.

[computerking]

Imageless
Cost: -1
Description: Just like the Vampires of the olden days, you cannot be photographed. Be it film, digital, or video, you never show up as more than a blur, or a burst of video static. Butters would say it’s a very specialized form of Mana Static, which only affects visual recording devices. Kincaid would say it’s a great way to get past Security devices.

Musts: A suitably vampiric, magical or "Sneaky Supernatural" High Concept

Skills Affected: Stealth

Effects:
Imageless provides a constant “semi-veil” of +4 to Stealth rolls against photographic attempts to detect you, and +4 to all direct attempts to defend against having your picture taken.

When unaware of or not trying to avoid surveillance, attempts to get an identifying picture of you suffer a -2 to the Performance rolls for photo or video quality.

Reflectionless: [-1] Your reflection is similarly prevented from occurring, reducing up to 3 points of penalties on stealth rolls where reflective surfaces could reveal your position.

[computerking]

Decoy
Cost: -3
Activation Speed: Supplemental Action
Description: There have been many precedents of high-speed fighters utilizing persistence of vision to fool their enemies to attacking where they aren’t. This power takes that to another level, allowing a life-and-death game of Three-card Monte with your own body on the line.

Musts: Supernatural Speed, or Mythic Speed, or the Faster than the Eye or Like the Wind  trappings from those respective speed powers.

Skills Affected: Athletics, Weapons, Fists, Guns

Effects:
Twin Me: You move quickly between two points in the same zone, stopping slightly in each one, so that it seems that there are two of you. You gain +2 to defense rolls, as your attacker can’t be sure which one of you to attack at what time.  You also gain +2 to your attack rolls, for similar reasons.

Triple Threat: Similar to the Twin Me power, but only available if you have Mythic Speed or Like the Wind. Three of you will seem to be in the zone at the same time, providing +3 to attacks and Defense.

Multiplicity: [-2]: For a Fate point, you can sacrifice some of your individual speed power bonuses and the bonuses to attack and defense in the above trappings for a scene; but in trade you receive a more powerful result: Your multiple images can seemingly attack and defend separately. Your multiple selves have your (natural) Alertness for Initiative, and cannot move more than 1 zone away from the other(s), but are allowed to attack different targets (Or the same target multiple times!). Be careful, though, you still only have one Stress track and set of Consequences, and your multiple selves can all be hit!

Notes: At any point you can stop using this power as a free action, and can choose which multiple stays. In the case of Multiplicity your initiative does not regain the benefits of your speed bonuses until the beginning of the next exchange.

[Silverblaze]

Decoy
Cost: -3
Activation Speed: Supplemental Action
Description: There have been many precedents of high-speed fighters utilizing persistence of vision to fool their enemies to attacking where they aren’t. This power takes that to another level, allowing a life-and-death game of Three-card Monte with your own body on the line.

Musts: Supernatural Speed, or Mythic Speed, or the Faster than the Eye or Like the Wind  trappings from those respective speed powers.

Skills Affected: Athletics, Weapons, Fists, Guns

Effects:
Twin Me: You move quickly between two points in the same zone, stopping slightly in each one, so that it seems that there are two of you. You gain +2 to defense rolls, as your attacker can’t be sure which one of you to attack at what time.  You also gain +2 to your attack rolls, for similar reasons.

Triple Threat: Similar to the Twin Me power, but only available if you have Mythic Speed or Like the Wind. Three of you will seem to be in the zone at the same time, providing +3 to attacks and Defense.

Multiplicity: [-2]: For a Fate point, you can sacrifice some of your individual speed power bonuses and the bonuses to attack and defense in the above trappings for a scene; but in trade you receive a more powerful result: Your multiple images can seemingly attack and defend separately. Your multiple selves have your (natural) Alertness for Initiative, and cannot move more than 1 zone away from the other(s), but are allowed to attack different targets (Or the same target multiple times!). Be careful, though, you still only have one Stress track and set of Consequences, and your multiple selves can all be hit!

Notes: At any point you can stop using this power as a free action, and can choose which multiple stays. In the case of Multiplicity your initiative does not regain the benefits of your speed bonuses until the beginning of the next exchange.

I'll weigh in on this like I usually do on powers that offer mutliple attacks.  I do not like it.  I think it can be very overpowered.  Sanctaphrax and I went rounds for days over multiple actions in an exchange and I still haven't changed my mind...pretty sure he hasn't either.

Long story short.  I wouldn't allow, I don't feel the system supports multiple attacks in combat well.

The other aspects of the power have been simulated by a displacement power already.

[Sanctaphrax]

Good ideas, not so good mechanics.

Imageless works, but I think it would work better if it simply made all attempts to record your image with a machine fail. If you don't show up on film, you don't show up on film.

And Reflectionless isn't worth another point of Refresh, I think. Fold it into the base power.

Decoy has a great number of issues.

1. "Activation Speed" doesn't mean anything. You may want to explain it a bit more.
2. I don't think it's possible to get the trappings of Supernatural/Mythic Speed without taking Supernatural/Mythic Speed.
3. The power having the same cost but providing more benefit if you have Mythic Speed is bad. If it's worth 3 refresh when it gives +2, then it's unfair for it to give +3.
4. Twin Me and Triple Threat are horribly boring.
5. Twin Me and Triple Threat are prime munchkin-bait.
6. It is unclear how Multiplicity works with zone attacks.
7. Anything giving multiple actions is worrying. I believe that in principle it can work, but that it'd be tough to do right. This might be balanced, but it also might really not be. Have you tested this in play?

[Silverblaze]

Good ideas, not so good mechanics.

Imageless works, but I think it would work better if it simply made all attempts to record your image with a machine fail. If you don't show up on film, you don't show up on film.

And Reflectionless isn't worth another point of Refresh, I think. Fold it into the base power.

Decoy has a great number of issues.

1. "Activation Speed" doesn't mean anything. You may want to explain it a bit more.
2. I don't think it's possible to get the trappings of Supernatural/Mythic Speed without taking Supernatural/Mythic Speed.
3. The power having the same cost but providing more benefit if you have Mythic Speed is bad. If it's worth 3 refresh when it gives +2, then it's unfair for it to give +3.
4. Twin Me and Triple Threat are horribly boring.
5. Twin Me and Triple Threat are prime munchkin-bait.
6. It is unclear how Multiplicity works with zone attacks.
7. Anything giving multiple actions is worrying. I believe that in principle it can work, but that it'd be tough to do right. This might be balanced, but it also might really not be. Have you tested this in play?

I agree mostly.  4. and 5. are sort of cool, but covered by Displacement, anotehr custom power I think ?Devonapple? made.

[computerking]

Good ideas, not so good mechanics.

Imageless works, but I think it would work better if it simply made all attempts to record your image with a machine fail. If you don't show up on film, you don't show up on film.

And Reflectionless isn't worth another point of Refresh, I think. Fold it into the base power.

Decoy has a great number of issues.

1. "Activation Speed" doesn't mean anything. You may want to explain it a bit more.
2. I don't think it's possible to get the trappings of Supernatural/Mythic Speed without taking Supernatural/Mythic Speed.
3. The power having the same cost but providing more benefit if you have Mythic Speed is bad. If it's worth 3 refresh when it gives +2, then it's unfair for it to give +3.
4. Twin Me and Triple Threat are horribly boring.
5. Twin Me and Triple Threat are prime munchkin-bait.
6. It is unclear how Multiplicity works with zone attacks.
7. Anything giving multiple actions is worrying. I believe that in principle it can work, but that it'd be tough to do right. This might be balanced, but it also might really not be. Have you tested this in play?

No, this was my attempt to create something that at least looks like  semi-viable multiple attack power. I tried to balance the multiple actions with suitable detriments (losing the Initiative bonus, vulnerability to attacks, and prohibitive cost) And I think requiring the superior or superlative speed powers helped balance it with a heavier cost. A player would have to spend between 9 and 11 refresh total to get the benefit of multiple attacks.

[ways and means]

Crimson Eyes of Destruction [-4]
With the help of your crimson eyes of destruction you can destroy people and objects on a conceptual level. You can use your eyes to carry out a mental attack on anyone within range (1 zone default) you roll conviction to attack (will to destroy) vs the enemies conviction (will to live) if the attack is successful you gain +4 stress bonus to damage. Enemies taken out by this power are obliterated leaving nothing behind but gore.   

[Sanctaphrax]

Other than the skills used, the lack of maneuvers, and the take-out results, is Crimson Eyes Of Destruction any different from Incite Emotion with all upgrades?

I actually think that the Multiplicity part of that power might well be balanced. But it needs testing.

And the rest of the power can just disappear or get completely rewritten. It's uninteresting and bad.

[ways and means]

 

Other than the skills used, the lack of maneuvers, and the take-out results, is Crimson Eyes Of Destruction any different from Incite Emotion with all upgrades?

I actually think that the Multiplicity part of that power might well be balanced. But it needs testing.

And the rest of the power can just disappear or get completely rewritten. It's uninteresting and bad.

Well other than skills, the maneuvers and the ability to use it on objects not that different but that was mainly out of trying to balance it it could and probably should have an area upgrade and higher damage at a higher refresh.