Alternate Magical Paradigms

[Hick Jr]

So, I found this custom power. Has anyone actually used it? How did it go over?

ALTERNATE MAGICAL PARADIGM [-1]
Description: Your magic is different from everyone else's. Where most practitioners cast spells with mental strength and magical knowledge, you use other methods.
Musts: You must possess at least one spellcasting power in order to take this one.
Skills Affected: Any three.
Effects:
Alternate Magical Paradigm. Pick three skills. For the purposes of any spellcasting powers you possess, use the first in place of your Conviction, the second in place of your Discipline, and the third in place of your Lore.

I personally like it because it opens a ton of doors, thematically speaking. Whether or not it's broken to all hell depends on what skills your're using with it. If you're playing a Name of the Wind-style Namer who uses Performance in place of Discipline, Alertness in place of Conviction, and Lore staying how it is, that's not immensely broken. If you're using it with Weapons, Might, and Athletics along with a couple of building blocks at Supernatural, therein lies a problem.

[Vargo Teras]

Like any versatile system, the way to avoid abuse is for the GM to not permit abusive things. There are plenty of ways to make the power broken, enough that ruling out each loophole seems less effective than simply suggesting that GMs exercise discretion.

[Deadmanwalking]

I'm less than certain that's even ever that broken. Well...using Athletics might get that way with the Speed powers, but barring that I'm not sure at all that, considering its cost, and how spellcasting works, it's not usually less effective than rearranging the character a bit and buying an extra level of Refinement. It's cool, especially for an existing character who picks up magic along the way, but I'm just not sure it's ever gonna be all that in optimization terms (barring the Athletics + Speed powers thing, anyway).

[Tedronai]

I'm even uncertain of just how 'broken' the combination of this and Speed powers actually are.

If you want boosts to your spellcasting, refinement is by far cheaper.

[Deadmanwalking]

I'm even uncertain of just how 'broken' the combination of this and Speed powers actually are.

If you want boosts to your spellcasting, refinement is by far cheaper.

Depends. If using Athletics as Discipline Mythic Speed grants a +3 to all Control rolls for all Evocation and Thaumaturgy...that stacks completely with any granted from other sources, and doesn't need to abide by the skill pyramid. That's...potentially abusable, especially for characters past Submerged. And especially because it can also be used as a physical defense skill with no other investment.

[Tedronai]

Yeah, at stupidly-high refresh levels, maybe that'd be an issue.
That +3 to all control rolls IS costing you 7 refresh.

[Sanctaphrax]

Okay, looks like I've got some editing to do.

Speed shouldn't affect spellcasting. If you can think of another such interaction, tell me and I'll shut it down.

[Deadmanwalking]

Okay, looks like I've got some editing to do.

Speed shouldn't affect spellcasting. If you can think of another such interaction, tell me and I'll shut it down.

I'd just suggest a blanket statement that the power ignores other powers that give direct bonuses to a Skill. Not quite with that wording, probably, but something general like that should handle this problem and any others that arise (True Strike from the SotC comes to mind).

[Locnil]

Huh, never realised it actually costed refresh before - kept thinking of it as a [-0] power for some reason.

Anyway, to answer the OP, I'm currently using it right now for a npc in my PbP game - unfortunately, I haven't really got the chance to bring it out yet, but I can say, it's a lifesaver for those with more refresh than skills.

Okay, looks like I've got some editing to do.

Speed shouldn't affect spellcasting. If you can think of another such interaction, tell me and I'll shut it down.

I'd think that would be obvious - besides, the text says Athletics "checks", not a flat +1 to all Athletics rolls. Though I can see the confusion.

That said, thinking about it, I'm not sure such a rules interaction is actually broken. For 7 refresh, there are much better ways to boost spellcasting ability.

[Lavecki121]

I am also using a character. He hasn't had the chance to use it either. I used fists and endurance to replace discipline and conviction respectively

[Vargo Teras]

Yeah, at stupidly-high refresh levels, maybe that'd be an issue.
That +3 to all control rolls IS costing you 7 refresh.

It's not so much that it's going to give ludicrous power, so much as that it gives an awful lot of power on top of what Mythic Speed already gives, and there's strong synergy there. If you can always act before opposing spellcasters, nuke the crap out of them, and then move several zones to avoid their counterfire, then they'd better have one hell of a reactive block if they're going to stand a chance. Speed also plugs the one big weakness of casters, being that they've got limited and expensive defensive options. Someone who uses Athletics for control and Endurance for power doesn't need to spend time on calling up a shield, especially if they've got Speed.

[Hick Jr]

Vargo phrased it excellently. That would my worry with the power. Not its low spell casting bonuses when compared to Refinements, it's synergy with Speed and Strength powers turning wizards into unkillable horrors. On the other hand, I'd allow it to work with Speed if there was thematic justification.

[Tedronai]

'Thematic justification' is a horrible reason to make game balance decisions.
But really, I don't think someone spending AT LEAST 9 refresh (mythic speed, this, and channelling) on supernatural abilities should be anything but amazing at what they do.

[Lavecki121]

Not only that but you could do it anyway, sans bonus

[Hick Jr]

That's what I meant by thematic justification. If you're playing the Flash and spent all your refresh on making an awesome Flash, I'm not going to say "doesn't work like that. Try again."