Custom Power List

[Deadmanwalking]

What do you guys think about these Stunts?

Mind Block and Technobabble look perfectly balanced. Intuitive Read is a bit odd mechanically, but likely balanced well enough, and Tell Me About Yourself seems a trifle overpowered, adding an entire Attack Trapping as it does.

[GruffAndTumble]

For the Telepathy power, how do you plan on handling reading the "minds" of inhuman creatures? The Lawbreaker section has some discussion on such things that would likely be relevant, magic or no.

[Baron Hazard]

I'd rule (personally, its not my power) that using telepathy on an inhuman mind would be similar to using The Sight.

[Ophidimancer]

Mind Block and Technobabble look perfectly balanced. Intuitive Read is a bit odd mechanically, but likely balanced well enough, and Tell Me About Yourself seems a trifle overpowered, adding an entire Attack Trapping as it does.

Hmm ... would it help to add a condition?  Something like ... it can only be used one-on-one, as a group setting doesn't allow you the privacy that's needed?

[Deadmanwalking]

Hmm ... would it help to add a condition?  Something like ... it can only be used one-on-one, as a group setting doesn't allow you the privacy that's needed?

Yeah, that'd do it.

[Baron Hazard]

Expansive Magical Repertoire (Lore Stunt): Your Lore skill is considered 2 steps higher when factoring in how many rotes your character knows.

[Ophidimancer]

Expansive Magical Repertoire (Lore Stunt): Your Lore skill is considered 2 steps higher when factoring in how many rotes your character knows.

Not only would I allow this, I would allow it to be taken multiple times.  If someone wants to use their Refresh on a spell repertoire, that's a pretty decently cool character concept.

[CMEast]

Yeah, very cool idea!

[Doc Nova]

I would have to concur and will point the practitioners in my game towards this particular stunt.  Nice!

[Bruce Coulson]

This is what we came up with for psychic powers...

Some general thoughts.  Magic is What You Are; Psychic Powers is What
> You Can Do.  This may look like hair-splitting, but it represents a
> fundamental difference.  When you break a Law with Magic, you're
> changing what you are; but wizards kill people all the time with swords,
> guns, cars, etc. and nothing happens to their basic nature.  (Hence why
> Wardens used to be issued swords.)  Psychic powers are a tool; a very
> potent and flexible tool, but still a tool.
>
> Psychics are Subtle.  Part of that is necessity, but part of it is how
> those powers work. In the Subtle vs. Overt categories (see the section
> on spellcasting on this) Psi always falls on the subtle side of the
> fence.  Although psychics CAN kill with their powers, they prefer to use
> those powers to help other people kill.  (When necssary...)
>
> Mechanic-wise, Psychic powers fall closest to Channeling; a focused
> Evocation power.  Great with short-term effects within their field of
> speciality.  Ritual casting I see as more of a plot-device, NPC thing.
> (For a Ritual, each psychic can contribute 1 point to the ultimate
> effect.  Just one.  It takes LOTS of psychics, working in concert, to
> achieve the sort of thing that a Wizard can do just by taking a little
> time and effort.)
>
> I also see psychic powers as always working as a form of contest.  What
> do I mean?  Okay, when a Wizard uses power, he gathers it and releases
> it towards a target or effect.  A Psychic extends their power to contact
> their target.  So, a psychic, metaphysically, is poking their targets
> with a pole.  A sentient target can conceivable grab the pole and shove
> back, injuring the psychic (who has opened a direct link to their mind).
> Whereas if Harry throws fire at you, you can block it, avoid it, or
> shrug of the damage; but sending it back would mean instantly gathering
> up all that power and chucking it back.  Even then, you'd still have to
> target Harry with the effect.
>
> Psychic: Telepath (-2 Refresh)
  One stress point for using any effect, as per normal
> Evocation/Channeling rules.  Requires Perception/LoS.  Most active
> powers require Conviction vs. Discipline.

Some sample 'rotes'
>
> Mind-Reading:  Conviction vs. Discipline; takes shifts to gain
> information (the more detailed, the more shifts required).  Can only
> gain information specifically searched for (no freebies!)  Might gain
> knowledge of target's Aspects.  If target wins the roll, inflicts
> additional stress (one per shift) and ends all attempts that scene.
>
> Detect Lies:  Allows the psychic to use Conviction to sense Deceit and
> other manipulation.  Passive, so no chance psychic can suffer damage;
> but not infallible.  Useless against the Fae.  Only detects a lie that
> speaker KNOWS is a lie.
>
> Sense Minds: Conviction vs Discipline.  Lets psychic know how many
> people are present.
>
> Emotion Control:  Takes shifts to alter emotions; 1 per level.  (So,
> inducing lust at a nightclub on an enthusiastic dancer?  One shift.
> Bringing someone from a meditative calm to berserk fury? 3-4 shifts)
> The emotion will only be momentary, but use of skills can extend the
> effect.
>
> Mind Control:  Possible...but extremely difficult (Remember, this is an
> Overt use of the power...)  It would take 4+ shifts to impose an Aspect
> on someone...and it would only last a scene.  To permanently change or
> impose an Aspect requires a Milestone, and the psychic must have access
> to their target during that time.  It's much easier just to pay people
> well and treat them nicely if you want their loyalty.  Sadly, the same
> restriction applies to repairing damage done by other Mind Controllers.
> It also means the telepath is risking Consequences (remember, the target
> can damage the psychic...).  In game terms, it's safer just to kill
> renfields rather than try to 'cure' them.  Even a healed target will
> have the Aspect "Mentally Fragile" or something similar as an Extreme
> Consequence afterwards.  It's easier to break people than fix them...
>
> Basically, if it's a passive, perceptual effect, the psychic is
> reasonably safe.  Actively targeting people carries risks; permanent
> changes aren't generally worth the effort.
>
> And since the telepath is opening a link to their mind, an unscrupulous
> (but talented) Wizard could use mind magic to attack the telepath, even
> if the Wizard wasn't the target.  Of course, that would automatically
> give Lawbreaker to the Wizard, so only an evil sorcerer would do such a
> thing...

[Tbora]

A Weapons stunt, does this seem too strong, keeping in mind because they are dependent on weapons they are allowed to be slightly stronger then average according to the books.

Weapon Master - You are a master of your chosen weapon, few able to call themselves your equal and no one your better.When you take this stunt you must identify a single type of weapon (Katana, Halberd, Great Axe, Bo Staff, etc), and when wielding it you get a +2 to your weapons skill.

[luminos]

Yes, that stunt is too strong.  A +1 to attack is the limit of what a stunt can give you.  Its in the guidelines for creating stunts, so you can read that and know I'm not just guessing here.

[Tbora]

Yes, that stunt is too strong.  A +1 to attack is the limit of what a stunt can give you.  Its in the guidelines for creating stunts, so you can read that and know I'm not just guessing here.

Really?

Huh, did not know that, in the book there are plenty of examples of plus 2 bonuses.

Hmm

[Falar]

Not for combat-related rolls with that level of broadacity. In fact, if you read the how to make a stunt bits, they specifically rule against something like what you just suggested.

[Tbora]

How would I limit it to fighting specifically with the weapon type, not just for stuff weapon rolls in general?