How would a "Costs Money" power modifier work?

[Ragitsu]

I can think of three ways such a modifier would work.

 

1). Only in virtual reality/cyberspace. Perhaps you have a hacker on the "inside" bypassing inherent roadblocks that you keep on retainer or some sort of advanced software with features that can only be unlocked via payment.

2). In the real world, through physical communication (such as with a telephone or internet-capable device with radio communication). This is fairly-self explanatory.

3). In a reality warping sense. Perhaps you have command over magic contingent upon material sacrifice, a relationship with a god of commerce, or just some strange metaphysical malleability that can only be unlocked with cash. This works anywhere you need it to...as long as you've got the dough to spare.

 

The first two methods probably aren't even worth statting up. The latter most definitely is: you might be in the Sahara with only twenty American dollars/pounds/deustch marks/euros/etc in your pockets and still be able to conjure up a hamburger and french fries for a percentage of that currency. You could be stuck in another dimension and use your otherwise useless credit/debt card to rustle up a Humvee fully loaded with survival supplies (the actual card itself might not even need to be present!).

 

Then, there are also attacks based around money. One such example is the "Gil/Coin Toss" attack of the Final Fantasy video game series. Hard physical currency gets instantly transmuted into large disks thrown with enough force to do damage proportionate to the amount you "spend" (Energy Blast, anyone?).

 

 

A coin golem doesn't sound too outlandish either.

 

[Surrealone]

Several options:

• Fuel Dependence limitation
• Continuing Fuel Charges
• Relevant power(s) draw(s) off an End Reserve representative of money

In cyberspace, consider that you likely don't want to use a direct account transfer, as that would leave tracks in logs ... that could result in someone hacking your account.  So, it is highly likely that you would have one or more burner accounts and/or bank cards that you would need to load up with cash from time to time.  (This lets you pay, but serves as an 'air gapped' firewall that keeps your real account from getting hammered should someone 'drain' you fuel/charges/END ... because it would impact the burner.)

 

The real world probably wouldn't be too different from cyberspace -- just slower.

 

For magic, the same concept applies -- you have a stash of fuel/charges/endurance somewhere you can only replenish by using sacrificial objects above a certain value.

 

For video-game-esque play, the same concept applies (fuel/charges/endurance you can only replenish using objects above a certain value) ... it's just done more rapidly and you must find them along the way as opposed to stashing them for advanced use.

[Christopher R Taylor]

I'd look at the focus rules for Expendable, and base it on how much money or cost

[DasBroot]

I'd look at the focus rules for Expendable, and base it on how much money or cost

 

Is there any focus more expendable in the whole world than money?

[bigdamnhero]

I'm not 100% sure I understand what you're aiming for, but it seems like we're conflating "Item Costs Money" with "Character Has Access to Money." The latter seems like it's just the Money Perk with Advantages/Limitations for how easy/difficult it is to access. The former could be a Limitation, tho of course it's assumed to be standard in most Heroic games.

 

I toyed around once with creating a system for determining equipment prices for a sci-fi campaign, starting based on the equipment's AP/RP cost, with modifiers for high-tech vs low-tech items, certain powers that were more expensive than others, miniaturization, etc. (The system was also meant to set mass/volume for starship equipment, and you could spend more money to get smaller/lighter models, etc.) Sadly, the campaign never got going, so my ideas never really congealed into anything usable.

 

"I sometimes think access to cash is the greatest superpower of all." The Revenant, PS238

[Sean Waters]

Poorly?

 

Money is very nebulous in Hero, and you tend to either have it or not.  What I'd do, personally, is decide what limitation I wanted to give it, agree that with my GM and then not moan all the bloody time when they tell you you can not use that power/ability/doohickey because you can't afford the Credits/NuYen/Throbmoanium it demands before you can actually use it.

 

Basically make it a simple Limited Power but reduce the limitation value by 1/4 (because you CAN save up to be sure of using it, so it is not as random as something that that only works in certain conditions).

 

So Limited Power -1 (works half the time) reduced by 1/4 as you can save to make it work -3/4 total.  Bingo.

[Christopher]

The big issue is: There is no clear equation for money/power.

If there was, we would not need to apply the "Only what you paid points for" rule to Superheroics (because money-gear would be part of the equation already).
Or develop stuff like the resoruce pools for heroic games.

 

Depending on the GM and Campaign 1 Gold might be "a dime a dozen" or a unreachable fortune. So it could be anywhere between -0 and -2 as a limition for any given amount of money. The value of this limitation is notoriously volatile.

Even more volatile then the "likelyhood" of a special effect in a campaign.

On the plus side as a player that means one thing: You get to choose the value you want it to have. If you want it to be a -2, you can just make it a -2.

[bigdamnhero]

The big issue is: There is no clear equation for money/power.

If there was, we would not need to apply the "Only what you paid points for" rule to Superheroics (because money-gear would be part of the equation already).

Well, I see that as mainly a genre thing, not a lack-of-mechanics things. Superheroes don't buy things because most of the things they buy aren't something you can just pick up at Target, and money never seems to be an issue. (Peter Parker can barely afford to eat, but he never seems to run out of fluid...)

 

I agree with your overall point that it depends on the campaign, and is largely up to the GM to create.