Help with an ability

[mayapuppies]

Hello all,

I have a new player in my group who is playing a bard like character. He ahs written a few abilities that I find rather neat, but my initial write-ups seem to be extremely cheap for these abilities.

So I was wondering if you folks could take a look at them and see what you would come up with for them.

1. Social Chameleon: Character can enter a town and after a couple of days be able to pass himself off as a local, complete with dialect, KS's, even language. This ability fades away after he leaves.

2. Gather Information: Essentially an uber streetwise skill that operates ina similar manner as #1.

3. Studious: As #1 but is able to learn a particular skill after a few days of study, knowledge of which fades over time.

My initial reaction is to use skills with limitations and advantages, but it works out pretty darn cheap for such overarching skills. Any help?

[Fitz]

You have a couple of options. The first would be to use Cramming -- the character would need to buy it for each skill (i.e. once for each KS, once for the language, etc.) The problem with this approach is that Cramming only allows a 8- Familiarity that can't be improved with Skill Levels. However, it's probably the most appropriate approach for a low- to medium-powered Heroic campaign.

The other approach, more appropriate for use as a mystical or magical bard ability, would be to buy a Variable Power Pool devoted entirely to appropriate skills. You would limit the Pool by requiring a couple of days to change skills (i.e. to adapt to the local area), and once active, the relevant skills would work exactly as if they'd been bought individually.

Neither way is going to be as cheap as buying skills, but they pay for themselves in flexibility, especially the VPP method.

[Hyper-Man]

Hello all,

I have a new player in my group who is playing a bard like character. He ahs written a few abilities that I find rather neat, but my initial write-ups seem to be extremely cheap for these abilities.

So I was wondering if you folks could take a look at them and see what you would come up with for them.

1. Social Chameleon: Character can enter a town and after a couple of days be able to pass himself off as a local, complete with dialect, KS's, even language. This ability fades away after he leaves.

2. Gather Information: Essentially an uber streetwise skill that operates ina similar manner as #1.

3. Studious: As #1 but is able to learn a particular skill after a few days of study, knowledge of which fades over time.

My initial reaction is to use skills with limitations and advantages, but it works out pretty darn cheap for such overarching skills. Any help?

How's this:

5 Social Chameleon, part 1: Shape Shift (Sight and Hearing Groups), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (19 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Day, Only to Activate, -2), Requires A PER Roll (RSR Skill is subject to Skill vs. Skill contests; -1/2) - END=0

16 Social Chameleon, part 2: Variable Power Pool (Mimicry Pool (Local KS's and Language including Dialect)), 15 base + 1 control cost, (22 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Day, Only to Activate, -2), Limited Special Effect Uncommon SFX (-1), Requires A PER Roll (RSR Skill is subject to Skill vs. Skill contests; -1/2), VPP Powers Can Be Changed Only In Given Circumstance (-1/2) - END=

8 Gather Information: Telepathy 8d6 (40 Active Points); Requires A PRE Roll (RSR Skill is subject to Skill vs. Skill contests; -1 1/4), Extra Time (5 Minutes, Only to Activate, -1), Language Barrier (-1/2), Receive Only (-1/2), Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-1/4), Gradual Effect (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1/4), Subject To Range Modifier (-1/4), Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Requires conversation with target; -1/4) - END=4

Studious sounds an awful lot like the skill Cramming. You might want to take a look at it.

edit.
Yeah, what Fitz said

[lensman]

1. Social Chameleon: Character can enter a town and after a couple of days be able to pass himself off as a local, complete with dialect, KS's, even language. This ability fades away after he leaves.

Images
Sight Group and Normal Hearing Images 1" radius
-5 to PER Rolls
Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2)
Extra Time (1 Week, Only to Activate, -2 1/4)
Limited Power Only to appear as a member of any one group (-2)
Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2)
No Range (-1/2)
Limited Effect Only Normal SIght (-1/4)


2. Gather Information: Essentially an uber streetwise skill that operates ina similar manner as #1.

Mind Scan
Some where there is a description of Mind Scan as a super ‘Tracking’ ability, reflecting the intimate knowledge this write up sounds like.

3. Studious: As #1 but is able to learn a particular skill after a few days of study, knowledge of which fades over time.

Transform,
with built in Fade rate,

[Doc Democracy]

Hmm a lot of the bits and pieces with respect to knowledge sounds like a limited telepathy to me - he picks up information and stuff from those around him - possibly gradual effect area effect telepathy.

Thus when he comes to somewhere new his telepathy begins interrogating those around him, slowly sdpreading in area and growing in strength until he knows the whole place like a native - people thin he speaks like them (its broadcast telepathy) and he understands weven the thickest of accents.

This covers one and two.

Three, as above, I would use the Cramming skill.


Doc

[CourtFool]

I have to go with a handfull of Crammings and/or a VPP.

[mayapuppies]

You guys are great! Thanks for the tips.

[Killer Shrike]

Um...Interaction Skills already cover most of this, and Cramming covers the rest. Also, you might want to check out the rules on my site for Improved Cramming...detailed here: Biofeedback


As far as the time constraints to represent taking some amount of time to acclimate to the way the locals act (applicable to everyone), and the ability to "seem like a local" as a negative modifier to interaction skill rolls, then appropriate PSL's would allow the character to overcome these penalties and "act like a native" without need to take the time to acclimate.