is righteousness overpowered?

[Thatwolfguy]

one of the players in my game is effectively using righteousness in every combat to pretty much destroy anything and everything.  I don't have it in front of me but his high concept is something like "defend the weak" or "needy" or something like that, so it pretty much works for him to say he's defending others in the party or himself, and add his (high) conviction to every attack and defense roll he makes.

has anyone else faced this situation?
how do you make it work out so that you don't tick off the player, but don't make it ridiculously lopsided?

thanks
Dave

[Mr. Death]

What do you mean by "add his conviction to every attack and defense"?

You don't mean he's literally adding the skill value, do you? Because that's not how it works. Complementing a skill means you get a +1 to the roll.

And the power as written does not mean "use it on any roll that fits your high concept." It more means, "Describe a specific purpose in this situation that aligns with your high concept; invoke your high concept, and you get a bonus for acting toward that purpose."

So he'd need to first decide on a specific purpose (and as GM, it's well within your purview to say that general defense of your allies is way too broad), and then spend a fate point. Further, if he completes this purpose, takes a compel drawing him away from the purpose, or buys out of a compel meant to keep him on purpose, the effect ends. It's by no means a free lunch.

[Thatwolfguy]

yeah, boy was he playing it wrong.  so then why would anyone use this instead of just spending the fate point to get +2 on the roll?

[Mr. Death]

yeah, boy was he playing it wrong.  so then why would anyone use this instead of just spending the fate point to get +2 on the roll?

It does provide that +1 to "any action that directly addresses your purpose," not just one.

That can amount to a lot over a long scene.

[Thatwolfguy]

can you point me to where in the book it details that "complement" means +1, I searched but could not find that

[Thatwolfguy]

and by the way, thank you very very much

[Mr. Death]

It's the Combining Skills section on page 213 of Your Story, and no problem.

Page 214 has a little cheat-sheet that explains the "complement" terminology.

[Taran]

I mean, it can be several scenes or even a whole story arc.  "I will rescue the kidnapped kid"

Now he gets +1 to investigate checks to track the kid down, or +1 to attacks to defeat the kidnappers.  But it wouldn't give you a +1 to empathy checks in the coffee shop when talking to someone that doesn't relate to the kidnapped kid.

But Making an empathy to find out something else is amiss, you might get a compel to follow that new task.

[Mr. Death]

It's like when Harry says that Michael is more invincible when he's "on the clock."

He's already got a 5 in Weapons; the Sword gives him a +1 to attack when he's doing so with true purpose, and if he invokes Righteousness's power to declare that, for instance, Stopping Nicodemus is his purpose, that's another +1.

Righteousness can make you formidable, not in a "Every attack is a crushing blow" sense, but in a "everything you're doing just works a little better and it adds up" sense.

[Taran]

But that said, your conviction has to be higher than the skill it's complimenting.

So if your weapons is 5 and your conviction is 5, you get no bonus.

But if your weapons is 4 and your conviction is 5, your weapons is effectively 5 for your purpose. 

[Mr. Death]

Well, the wording is that it complements, not just modifies. "Complement" is defined as, "If a secondary skill could only add to the primary skill, say it complements that skill."

So you could argue that because it says your Conviction "complements" the skills, it gives the +1, but I can see it the other way.

[whitelaughter]

yeah, boy was he playing it wrong.  so then why would anyone use this instead of just spending the fate point to get +2 on the roll?

Most of the True Faith powers are better replaced by properly worded aspects. Sure, you can lose a refresh to have the ability to turn up somewhere when the GM feels like it...or you could spend a Fate point when you feel like it.

Rather than spending Fate to replace a skill with conviction, keep the refresh and have 2 Fate points to increase the skill: at minimum that's as good and it will often be better by 4.

 Why take Bless this House when you can have 'family man' and have a decent threshold to start with?

For that matter, why are these stunts supernatural? If holy water made by a completely mundane priest can burn a monster, why is the skin of a sanctified believer doing the same thing somehow supernatural?

About the only use for these power are either as spells for a Theurgically based Channeller, or possibly you could put Righteousness and Holy Touch into a weapon as an Item of power.

[Mr. Death]

Most of the True Faith powers are better replaced by properly worded aspects. Sure, you can lose a refresh to have the ability to turn up somewhere when the GM feels like it...or you could spend a Fate point when you feel like it.

The GM has to accept it in the other case, too. With the power, it's free, and essentially the same thing.

Rather than spending Fate to replace a skill with conviction, keep the refresh and have 2 Fate points to increase the skill: at minimum that's as good and it will often be better by 4.

As pointed out before, that +1 can apply to any number of rolls for a long time. You could be talking like a dozen +1s over a variety of skills, which IMO is better than one +4.

Why take Bless this House when you can have 'family man' and have a decent threshold to start with?

Bless This House applies to any threshold you enter, not just your own. And some people don't want to play characters with big families that would be locked onto that location.

For that matter, why are these stunts supernatural? If holy water made by a completely mundane priest can burn a monster, why is the skin of a sanctified believer doing the same thing somehow supernatural?

Because it's a power above and beyond what's normally possible for mortals, with the direct implicit sponsorship of a supernatural being.

About the only use for these power are either as spells for a Theurgically based Channeller, or possibly you could put Righteousness and Holy Touch into a weapon as an Item of power.

That's a really narrow view of the power set, and I think you're really misunderstanding their utility.

[Sanctaphrax]

Bless This House really is weak. But the others are pretty solid.