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Strong limitations


GCMorris

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The limitation values depend on how long his "moon phases" are...

Assuming his New Moon Phase and his Full Moon Phase are each 4 Days long, and his Waxing Moon Phase and Waning Moon Phase are each 10 days long:

The Powers he has all the time (i.e. even during the New Moon Phase) take no limitation.

The Powers he only loses during a New Moon Phase take a -1/4 limitation: Not During The New Moon Phase.

The Powers he only gains during a Full Moon Phase take a -2 limitation: Only During The Full Moon Phase.

 

For example:

Strength of the Moon:  ​Telekinesis (10 STR) (15 APs) plus​ Telekinesis (+10 STR) (15 APs); Not During The New Moon Phase (-1/4) ​plus ​Telekinesis (+20 STR) (30 APs); Only During The Full Moon Phase (-2). Cost: 37 points (15+12+10 CP)

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The Powers he only loses during a New Moon Phase take a -1/4 limitation: Not During The New Moon Phase.

Seems like you could also handle this as some sort of Susceptability: Powers Are Half Strength (or whatever) During The New Moon.

 

Tho personally I feel this sort of thing - powers that fluctuate based on external factors that the player can't control, and that the GM can control completely arbitrarily - is one of those comic tropes that doesn't translate well to RPGs. I don't know about you, but we don't normally track dates all that closely. So do you just roll randomly at the start of each episode to determine where in the Phase we are? And I've known some players that would simply say "It's the new moon, so my character stays home" which gets problematic quick. It's just hard to GM fairly without being completely arbitrary. IMO, YMMV, etc.

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What about a Blue Moon power?  When there are two full moons in the same month...

 

​The calendar day or month is Irrelevant to someone who's powers are based on lunar phases, "Blue Moons" are simply a mathematical side-effect of us using a calendar month which is longer than the lunar cycle.

 

 

And I've known some players that would simply say "It's the new moon, so my character stays home" which gets problematic quick. It's just hard to GM fairly without being completely arbitrary. IMO, YMMV, etc.

Yeah, no. Staying home is not gonna fly... that player's character will get "mysteriously" attacked by ninja's (very weak ninjas, but ninjas) at least once during the new moon. He got points back for the limitation, he has to suffer the consequences at least once.

Now if we were talking about the Menstrual Avenger, who only works three days per month (but took no limitation or complication regarding her frequent loss of powers), then what do you know, the campaign sessions always seem to line of with her periods... what're the odds?

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I like that character concept.
But in my experience most fluctuating power level characters are not much fun for the other players and the GM. You do not want to have a partner who half of the time is a DNPC you have to protect and save from everything enemies dish out that are a challenge to your full power level. And you do not want to have a scene stealer the other half of the time who somehow managed to work around the campaign's max levels.
And it might be even more extreme with this character: Depending on your campaign's rhythm you might have him/her at his low for two or three full game sessions and at full superiority for as long.

How about you make him/her as resilient when the moon is dark, but less active and confident? Perhaps (s)he is moody at new moon and his/her powers pacifistic? Clairvoyance, healing, aid - those are typical moon godesses' powers.
But at the full moon his/her powers are more radiant, offensive, charismatic? Lighting up the world, defending the weak, banishing darkness. Moon beams, spheric force fields, teleport, PRE attacks.
That way the GM does not have to balance and rebalance every scene and the other players do not have to carry the full impact of Moonchild's power fluctuations.

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