Custom Power List

[devonapple]

Re: Superior Hold

Yes, multiple actions is a point of contention, but I interpret this as an NPC power, a challenge to be overcome. This type of power is an element of a Chain Golem I invented for AD&D 2e and then D&D 3.x: a hunter golem that took captives alive. This also appears to be something which a Doctor Octopus type of character might take.

The less problematic way to do this by straight RAW would be to give the hunter golem an Aspect "My Body is a Cage" and then Invoke that after an opponent has been Taken Out normally. The victim will be held (by narrative power, not by any skill) until the other PCs manage to Take Out the hunter golem or it returns home with its prize.

However, another option for this is to make it an in-scene challenge to be overcome, in which case I feel it potentially valid to give the hunter golem an extra effective action in order to make a challenge for PCs. The captured PC is going to fight the grapple; the other PCs will probably try to Take Out the hunter golem: the players still have agency.

So, if a power has to be good for PCs as well as NPCs to be considered valid, then yes, this one is problematic, but then, allowing a golem as a PC is a pretty singular GM decision.

[Sanctaphrax]

Oh, I definitely think that this power should be suitable for PCs.

I don't think it's inherently game-breaking, so there's definitely a refresh cost out there that will make it reasonable. Same goes for other powers giving multiple actions.

The idea here was to give grapplers a way to be useful against crowds. This power is really only useful against opponents who have no real chance of escaping your grasp, especially because the supplemental action penalties really add up when you grapple more than one person.

So you'll mostly use it against people that you totally outclass. If you weren't a grappler, you could just one-shot them. But you are a grappler, so you have to buy an extra power and make some extra effort in order to not spend 5-6 actions on each opponent.

Once you had them grappled, it was over for them. This power just lets you do something else why you finish them.

I'm not sure about its cost, though. Maybe -3 would be more appropriate. Or maybe I ought to make maintaining the Superior Hold a supplemental action.

Can I take the lack of criticism for Mindless and Hollow as an indication that they are good as-is?

PS: Hollow, if appropriately upgraded, can be used to make vehicles and buildings as characters. It isn't the pointless little gimmick power that it might look like.

[devonapple]

PS: Hollow, if appropriately upgraded, can be used to make vehicles and buildings as characters. It isn't the pointless little gimmick power that it might look like.

Clllllllever!

Edit: okay, actual feedback:
I'm conflicted about wanting to require Hollow as a prerequisite for the Swallow Whole option... in fact, I'm thinking the whole pricing for that series of powers may need to be reoriented. It feels like we're getting for free the ability to vanish something one's own size, and it feels backwards to me.

Perhaps if we price Superior Hold it as a -2 power which allows you to do that only to targets smaller than you, and then made it an additional -1 to allow it to affect targets your own size...?

[Sanctaphrax]

Aw, thanks.

Anyway, Hollow and Swallow Whole are not even intended to be connected. Heck, Swallow Whole could easily be fluffed as holding the target with one of your many gigantic hands.

Hollow lets you hide things inside yourself, and gives the mechanical effects of doing so. Swallow Whole lets you grapple smaller targets without an action every turn, and lets you flavour it as swallowing if you so choose.

So I don't think either should require the other.

But I do like the idea of making Swallow Whole the baseline which is upgraded to Superior Hold.

Still undecided on whether it should cost 2-3 refresh or 1-2 refresh.

PS: These three powers will be showing up on the Character Request Game and Generic NPC threads a fair bit over the next couple of days, so feel free to look if you want to get an idea of how they might be used.

[ways and means]

Another mod of all things equal before god but based on two powers from two completely different universes.

Mystics Eyes of Death Perception/ Shatterpoint [any view weakness power] [-4] You can see creatures deaths these manifest as crimsons lines on your enemies bodies, attacking these lines allows you to bypass any toughness or recovery powers. To use this power you must first spend a turn searching for the lines of death (alertness vs endurance roll to create the aspect 'lined') you can then tag this aspect to bypass all toughness powers or mundane Armour of the opponent for a scene.

They were the exact same power so I renamed them (ones from star wars the other is from an graphic novel).

[Sanctaphrax]

The first one looks pretty good.

The second one looks the same as the first one.

[Silverblaze]

Having the power no longer require fate points and last for a scene may be a little more Op than -1 refresh can cover.  Just my opinion.

The second power definetly looks the same as the first one.

Also, I hazard this not as a question of balance: the one scary thing about KoC's is the ability to bypass armor and defenses.  i think the more powers and mroe things that have a reflavoring of siad power...makes Knights less interesting or powerful in the grand scheme.

I think in a game with a KoC player... you may want to not allow such things 9or fewer of them, or they'll feel like they aren't as unique or important. 

Just advising caution.  Not really finding fault.

[Sanctaphrax]

I thought that All Creatures... was scene-long anyway.

As for the lack of a FP cost: it's only a profit if you use it more than once before refreshes. And wasting an exchange every fight is not trivial.

I actually think that this is weaker than All Creatures...

[ways and means]

Vibro-Sword [-1] Your sword vibrates at an incredible frequency that allows it to cut through material cleanly but makes the blade pretty unwieldy.
 
Vibro Cut - Add +4 stress on a successful strike.
Unwieldy Blade - There is a -1 penalty to accuracy when attacking with the blade.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Vibro-Sword [-1] Your sword vibrates at an incredible frequency that allows it to cut through material cleanly but makes the blade pretty unwieldy.
 
Vibro Cut - Add +4 stress on a successful strike.
Unwieldy Blade - There is a -1 penalty to accuracy when attacking with the blade.

Adds up essentially the same as Claws for cost but I'm not sure how it would play out balance-wise.

[ways and means]

Item of Power

Vorpal Sword [-4]
Obvious Item of Power [+2]
Description: Weapons 2: A sword of surpassing Vorpalness which cleaved the monstrous Jabberwock's head clean off it neck with a snicker-snack.
Snicker Snack [-3] +6 stress on a successful hit and any enemies taken out by the blade loose their head
All Things Equal Before god [-3]


 

[Silverblaze]

Someone really likes making everything bypass toughness,

(click to show/hide)

and OP IoP's

[ways and means]

Someone really likes making everything bypass toughness,

(click to show/hide)

and OP IoP's

Personally I prefer mental stress but I don't think the Vorpal Sword is overpowered for what it is.

(click to show/hide)

According to Disney it cut off a dragons head in one swing

[Sanctaphrax]

Dunno about overpowered, but I don't like it.

Snickerty-Snack is boring and questionably balanced. Stacking restrictions are there for a reason.

And now that I'm paying attention, All Creatures Are Equal Before God does show up an awful lot on IoPs. I wonder why.

[ways and means]

Dunno about overpowered, but I don't like it.

Snickerty-Snack is boring and questionably balanced. Stacking restrictions are there for a reason.

And now that I'm paying attention, All Creatures Are Equal Before God does show up an awful lot on IoPs. I wonder why.

Because most weapon items of powers are meant for killing things that can't usually be killed (it is a standard trope in fantasy which I like to call the Dark Lord Slaying Sword) or are mystic artifacts of doom (also common in fantasy the weapons that erase people completely) well the latter could be done via a mental stress sword of soul slaying (of questionable balance and refresh), All thing Equal just makes sense for a dark lord slaying sword as it allows you pierce plot Armour (physical immunity) and kill anyone.