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I have this terrible ringing in my ears...


knasser2

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Hi,

 

I want to make a power for priests in my game that lets them inflict a terrible ringing sound on unholy creatures. So for example, it specifically affects creatures of the Fey type, or Undead, or Devils (according to the priest in question). Much like how in some folklore faerie folk could not abide the sound of church bells ringing on a Sunday morning.

 

I'm actually going to do two variants of this - one that happens when the priest chants their scriptures so that marching clerics can Dixit Dominus a pesky devil back down into Hell, etc. And another which will be attached to the temple bell and obviously have a much wider range - but that's not a PC power, that's a magic item.

 

In both cases however, the effect is the same. I'm not sure what to build this effect with or how. My first thought was Mental Illusions since it's really a painful auditory hallucination. But that seems more about actual deception. I also looked at Flash which I know could target hearing, but that's about removing a sense alltogether. What I really want is to add a sort of "hard to concentrate" penalty to the victims. I'm open to suggestions as to what that should be - penalties to OCV, Stun damage. Currently, I'm leaning towards Stun damage which would probably answer my own question because I'd then just make it an area effect Blast centered on the priest or bell and some kind of hard-wired Selective limiter. I'm curious how others would handle a distracting environment or distraction due to pain in general though, to see what other options I have. Stun damage is okay but I think it might be fun to do something more immediately painful. I want to see those devils hopping around with their hands clapped to their heads! ;)

 

Thanks for any suggestions

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I think you answer this yourself, your idea is the special effect, you need to think about what exactly you are looking to do. Each phase the demon can either do what it wants or it cannot. your power is looking to give it a reason not to act.

 

So, you could impose a damage effect, I would be more inclined to impose a -4 to all actions AND some NND damage. The defence to the damage would be covering your ears.

 

So, the demon can do what it wants if it accepts the -4 and takes the damage. If you wanted to burn more time you could require a demon to make a bravery roll (at -4) to be able to not cover its ears.

 

Doc

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I think you answer this yourself, your idea is the special effect, you need to think about what exactly you are looking to do. Each phase the demon can either do what it wants or it cannot. your power is looking to give it a reason not to act.

 

So, you could impose a damage effect, I would be more inclined to impose a -4 to all actions AND some NND damage. The defence to the damage would be covering your ears.

 

So, the demon can do what it wants if it accepts the -4 and takes the damage. If you wanted to burn more time you could require a demon to make a bravery roll (at -4) to be able to not cover its ears.

 

Doc

 

Nice. It never even occurred to me to give the creatures some escape route and force them into a horrible choice. I like this a lot. Now I can see some mighty devil (high Ego) roaring defiance whilst its crowd of imps all flap about in agony. How would you build a power that forced people to cover their ears on a failed characteristic roll? This is beyond my Hero skills, I'm afraid. For that matter, how would you do something that imposed a -4 to all actions on someone as well? I really like the choice aspect.

 

Thanks for these ideas - really good stuff.

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Take the easy way out -- make it a ... Whachamacallit, away from my books right now, just like Superman and kryptonite ...

 

Edit: Susceptibility! That's the bunny! For the unholy creatures vs. holy sounds.

 

The problem with this is that only certain PCs have the ability to make the holy sounds. So it would essentially be giving a free "turn undead" style effect to people that they didn't have to pay for. Devils and Fey are moderately common in my game so it needs to be a cost to the PC.

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Well, the Change Environment power would allow you to create an area which imposed effects on anyone within it. The GM would have to decide on what you need to spend on it. I would say 5 for each -1 to OCV, extra for each -1 to PER rolls cased on sound, then you need to add area effect on it. I would link this to an NND.

 

You could the limit change environment to "only if NND is damaging target".

 

The need to make a bravery roll is simply a GM call. I would do it in a limited fashion as it would slow play. It might, if used in a limited way, add to the drama as you check if an imp is brave enough to take the damage so it can act.

 

 

Doc

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The Ring of Truth: (Total: 27 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Change Environment (-2 to Hearing Group PER Rolls, -4 to Characteristic Roll Ego), Area Of Effect (32m Radius Explosion; +1/2) (27 Active Points); Incantations (Requires Incantations throughout; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Must be in good standing with Gods, EGO roll only effects those who are abominable to the Gods. (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) (Real Cost: 10)

 

As the priest recites the relevant passages, all within 16 meters suffer a -2 to Hearing rolls and all within 32 suffer a -1.

All abominations (undead, demons, etc) within 8 meters must roll EGO at -4 each phase or lose a half phase and are unable to Concentrate. Out to 16 meters it's a -3 to EGO roll, out to 24 meters it is -2, and out to 32 it is -1.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

the palindromedary still runs rings around you

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Maybe I'm just weird, but it seems to me to be a Dispel Summon effect assuming that the Fey, Devils, Demons, and Undead operating in your campaign are summoned entities.

 

Banishment:  xd6 Dispel v. Summon (only works vrs. Fey,Devils, Demons and Undead), AoE Radius, no range, incantations,

 

The Painful Truth:  xd6 Blast NND [All or Nothing Defense is I dunno being human] (only works vrs. Fey, Devils, Demons and Undead), AoE Radius, no range, linked to Banishment.

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Neither sleep, neither lie, inkborrough's ting tang hangs so high: (Total: 49 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Change Environment (-2 to Hearing Group PER Rolls, -4 to Characteristic Roll Ego), Area Of Effect (32m Radius Explosion; +1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), MegaScale (1m = 1 km; +1), Cannot alter scale (-1/4) (49 Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2), No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Must be in good standing with Gods, EGO roll only effects those who are abominable to the Gods. (-1/2), STR Minimum 9 (It takes some effort to work the bells; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) (Real Cost: 10)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary wants to call the power "Saved by the Bell"

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Ring of Truth: (Total: 27 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Change Environment (-2 to Hearing Group PER Rolls, -4 to Characteristic Roll Ego), Area Of Effect (32m Radius Explosion; +1/2) (27 Active Points); Incantations (Requires Incantations throughout; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Must be in good standing with Gods, EGO roll only effects those who are abominable to the Gods. (-1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) (Real Cost: 10)

 

As the priest recites the relevant passages, all within 16 meters suffer a -2 to Hearing rolls and all within 32 suffer a -1.

All abominations (undead, demons, etc) within 8 meters must roll EGO at -4 each phase or lose a half phase and are unable to Concentrate. Out to 16 meters it's a -3 to EGO roll, out to 24 meters it is -2, and out to 32 it is -1.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

the palindromedary still runs rings around you

 

Wonderful. Great reply - complete working example that captures what I want! Thank you so much!

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Maybe I'm just weird, but it seems to me to be a Dispel Summon effect assuming that the Fey, Devils, Demons, and Undead operating in your campaign are summoned entities.

 

Banishment:  xd6 Dispel v. Summon (only works vrs. Fey,Devils, Demons and Undead), AoE Radius, no range, incantations,

 

The Painful Truth:  xd6 Blast NND [All or Nothing Defense is I dunno being human] (only works vrs. Fey, Devils, Demons and Undead), AoE Radius, no range, linked to Banishment.

 

Ah, it's interesting to know about the banishment approach but no, they're not "Summoned" creatures in my setting. Not necessarily anyway. Fey just skip into this world when they feel like it or if they want to abduct adopt a human child. Devils are entirely capable of crawling their way up from Hell by themself if nobody is keeping an eye on the deep passages in the earth that lead down to it and demons... they might be summoned but more likely some wizard done goofed and unleashed a ravening ball of death in their tower by critically failing a magic roll.

 

 

Neither sleep, neither lie, inkborrough's ting tang hangs so high: (Total: 49 Active Cost, 10 Real Cost) Change Environment (-2 to Hearing Group PER Rolls, -4 to Characteristic Roll Ego), Area Of Effect (32m Radius Explosion; +1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), MegaScale (1m = 1 km; +1), Cannot alter scale (-1/4) (49 Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2), No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power Must be in good standing with Gods, EGO roll only effects those who are abominable to the Gods. (-1/2), STR Minimum 9 (It takes some effort to work the bells; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) (Real Cost: 10)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary wants to call the power "Saved by the Bell"

 

Ha! No, I am NOT throwing out my carefully atmospheric power descriptions just for that. However, I AM going to try and work it into the game when a temple bell drives off the devils. :D

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