[6th Edition] "A truly special snowflake" (Access to highly cinematic traits in a normal world)

[Ragitsu]

What is a fair price on a trait that allows a character that is definitely cinematic (like most Steven Seagal characters or Arnold Schwarzenegger characters) in an otherwise real-world campaign?

Think of this as the license that allows one to purchase other traits which would be off limits in a game squarely centered around reality.

[Hyper-Man]

I don't know if a FLAT cost is even the right way to price such an ability.  A x2 or x3 Multiplier might be a better approach.

[JmOz]

I agree.  A doubling seems right to me (Based off the old NCM rules)

[IndianaJoe3]

I thought this was called, "being a player character."

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Pretty much, yeah.

 

On the other hand, in 'After The End' over on HC, the world was a limited-comic-book world: unless you had the sub/conscious knowledge how, your effect on other things worked with Real World Physics.  Hydroman swimming at 300mph up through the Mississippi River would cause near-cataclysmic wakes behind him; the Flash 'teleporting' from here to there would cause a sonic boom all along his route.  How I solved this, though, was to have the characters (like the quasi-Superman) to purchase the 'Power' skill, so that their personal defiance of the standard laws of physics would apply to reduce or negate the standard-physics negative side effects.  Hydroman, when he swam, therefore half-converted into water, so that it was water intermeshing with water, a sort of intangibility; Superman could now lift up a ship by its keel, extending a subconscious personal force-field across the ship to keep it the same, structurally.  Things like that.

 

I required a minimum expenditure of 5 points before it would apply towards 'standard non-combat physics' issues; if they wanted to do it for power tricks and in combat, of course, rolling was required.

[bigdamnhero]

I thought this was called, "being a player character."

Same here.

[zslane]

I think it depends on the core values of the game system. GURPS tackled this issue with the rather inelegant Unusual Background ability which had a flat cost which varied according to the specifics of the campaign world (i.e., just how "unusual" was it for characters to have access to abilities from outside the genre). It was basically an "access fee" to highly useful abilities from genre supplements not in use by the campaign.

 

But in this case, I see it as an extension of Normal Characteristic Maxima. You are basically saying that characters like Segal have fighting skills that aren't mystical or anything, but they are so cinematic that they slightly defy real-world limitations. Make them cost double the regular cost, just like exceeding NCM, or something along those lines.

[Steve]

I suppose it could be done as a kind of Talent or the 4th Edition way of doing Elemental Control.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

A double cost for 'slightly defy' seems to me to be extraordinarily steep, is all I'm sayin'.  x2 for those last 5 points of STR?  Sure.  x2 for all your martial arts, though?

[Hyper-Man]

A double cost for 'slightly defy' seems to me to be extraordinarily steep, is all I'm sayin'.  x2 for those last 5 points of STR?  Sure.  x2 for all your martial arts, though?

 

I don't think anyone suggested that real world martial art maneuvers should cost x2. It would only apply to any martial art abilities built as powers.

[Ragitsu]

They would be akin to Jack Slater with all his cinematic abilities/conventions transferred over to the real world.

[Hyper-Man]

The Last Action Hero universe is a great example.  I could see spending 10-20 points for the ability to allow a character to ignore the local 'realistic world' rules like bleeding and such.  It's not quite as good as the Automaton Powers and it's not just Regeneration (which would be another good way to price compare).

 

A few dice of Luck and levels of Combat Luck would be good addons as well.