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Powers using animals


akrippler

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I want to build a couple of powers using bats or crows to accomplish a few things. Looking for input on how best to go about it. 

The few things I know I want; lets pretend they are all for crows.

Use crows to spy (Im guessing this is going to be a clairsentience vision/hearing)

Have a crow verbally deliver a simple message/command.

Maybe a minor mind control for odds and ends? (follow this person....etc)

When using a bird as a clairsentience focus point, will I need mind control to tell it where to go, or is that incorporated in the Clairsentience power? 

and now finally ammunition:  Should I build a summon to bring crows to me to do said work? Would they be inherited via the other powers? 

Will this require mind links with the crows to make it happen?

 

Also structure.  Do you see this as a multipower, or a few small tricks wrapped up together? 

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I'd just buy all the powers with Physical Manifestation to represent that the crows can be killed. If you wanted the clairvoyant crow to be self-willed, buy Summon and give the crow Mind Link and transmit on it's senses. If is just the FX of Clairvoyance, then probably just add Concentration to the build.

 

Messenger crow is images to sound.

 

Carrier crow is Summon.

 

No framework needed.

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Okay, I have had more time to clarify my thoughts. Besides pecking on one of those cell phone keyboards is murder. (See what I did there? "Pecking" as in beaks and "murder" as in a murder of crows! Get it!?)

 

Ahem...

 

Most of these ideas can be done just by having a Summoned or Follower corvid. I'm just playing with the concept.

 

The Messenger Crow power could also be Usable By Other and Extra Time to represent transit time between the Corvid Mage and his intended recipient. The recipient could then, in turn, send back another message. I would probably use Time Limit or perhaps a Continuing Charge or something to limit how many trips back and forth the crow would make. In the case of a Summoned crow, I believe there is a maximum number of services rendered and each message would be a service.

 

Carrier Crow could also be Telekinesis. It would take some tweaking, but would work.

 

A couple of others. Some most are silly and some one not. Hopefully all useful.

 

Murder of Crows (not just great for puns and bad, bad jokes): 1/2d6 RKA, AoE: Radius, Constant, Penetrating.  The Physical Limitation, in this case, represents an entire murder of crows pecking at somebody. I'd be willing to accept, were it my campaign, Difficult to Dispel purchases as extra Body to represent the number of individual birds within the murder.

 

Eat Crow: 1/2d6 RKA, AVAD (Resistant Protection Covering Mouth or not having a Mouth orifice), All or Nothing, Constant, plus Change Environment: Suffocation (season Power Modifiers to taste).

 

Inspired by...NSFW or anybody squeamish

. Yes, the exact orifice is different. I am aware of that. That doesn't work as well with the cheesy name though. :D

 

And finally (thankfully)....

 

Crow Magnon: Summons a huge crow upon which the Corvid Mage and his companions can safely ride.  Flight, Usable Simultaneously, Time Limit (or Continuing Charge) blah blah blah

 

Storm Crow: Creates a storm (Change Environment and a whole slew of complimentary powers)

 

I had fun tinkering with the concepts in my head anyways. Usually I am not silly or full of puns when I design stuff. The mood just hit me.

 

Other (non-named) suggestions:  Darkness (could added to Murder of Crows) to represent all of the flapping wings. Flash vs Sight (same basic effect, but just a single crow and only for a second).

 

Of course, Corvid Mages have to be on the lookout for....wait for it.....Scarecrows (Striking Appearance to cause fear coupled with PRE drain)!

 

OK. I'm done here.

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For any single one of these tricks, I'd suggest buying the appropriate Power with Physical Manifestation.

 

With this may things you want to do, though, I would suggest taking a Summon Crow Power and write up the crows as able to do all the things you need them to do.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Summon Palindromedary

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You guys are awesome thanks for the input.

Maybe your right, go with a summon.  Maybe the simplest way would be to pair it with a mind control / Mind link that only works with crows?  (should be cheap)

 

For any single one of these tricks, I'd suggest buying the appropriate Power with Physical Manifestation.

 

With this may things you want to do, though, I would suggest taking a Summon Crow Power and write up the crows as able to do all the things you need them to do.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Summon Palindromedary

 

Are you suggesting I build a "clairvoyance crow", a "message crow", etc... and summon those creatures specifically? 

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Naw, if you are going to go with summon, buy the crow with Transmit for its senses and Mind Link. Don't even worry about Clairsentience. For the messenger part, you might buy Animal Handling (Corvids) for your character and Mimicry for the Crow. That way you train it to take the message. Alternately, you can still use Images to transmit your message. The only thing is that the more exotic powers are not going to be as easily possible with a summoned crow as a special effect crow (or crows). Your summoned crow would be very versatile. You may even want to define it as a Follower. That's a more cosmetic choice though.

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Naw, if you are going to go with summon, buy the crow with Transmit for its senses and Mind Link. Don't even worry about Clairsentience. For the messenger part, you might buy Animal Handling (Corvids) for your character and Mimicry for the Crow. That way you train it to take the message. Alternately, you can still use Images to transmit your message. The only thing is that the more exotic powers are not going to be as easily possible with a summoned crow as a special effect crow (or crows). Your summoned crow would be very versatile. You may even want to define it as a Follower. That's a more cosmetic choice though.

 

Thanks man, sorry Im slow.  Your saying to build a crow that has mind link and transmit senses in it, and summon that crow right?

I'd like to summon regular crows (grab must be local, and arrives on its own accord) that I use supernaturally, instead of summoning magical crows. Does that make sense?

Another question: In regards to summoning crows/ravens  the bestiary put them at -12 points. Would you say that means the cost of the summon power is just 1 point?  

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Don't worry about "being slow." Hero has many ways to do the same thing. In regards to making the crows you summon get powers granted to them, buy them for yourself and then add Usable By Other. In that respect, you buy the Mind Link and then buy Transmit, Usable by Other. I'd have to be at home to verify the costs. It might, in that regard, make sense to switch back to Clairsentience with a Limitation Only What the Crow Can See.

 

As far as the cost to Summon, I was under the impression that it was based on the Base Cost, not the Real Cost. Again, no reference materials here to verify that. I'll follow up later this evening.

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You guys are awesome thanks for the input.

Maybe your right, go with a summon.  Maybe the simplest way would be to pair it with a mind control / Mind link that only works with crows?  (should be cheap)

 

 

Are you suggesting I build a "clairvoyance crow", a "message crow", etc... and summon those creatures specifically? 

 

A Mind Link might be a good idea.

 

I was thinking building ONE crow that's able to do ALL the things you need done.

 

Thanks man, sorry Im slow.  Your saying to build a crow that has mind link and transmit senses in it, and summon that crow right?

I'd like to summon regular crows (grab must be local, and arrives on its own accord) that I use supernaturally, instead of summoning magical crows. Does that make sense?

Another question: In regards to summoning crows/ravens  the bestiary put them at -12 points. Would you say that means the cost of the summon power is just 1 point?  

 

You can build a crow that's more than the standard Bestiary write up and still say it's a natural crow - you just "enhance" it at the same time as you Summon it.

 

And your Summon should have multiple crows built into it - you are almost certainly going to want more than one active at a time.

 

Maybe you can call the Summon power "'Murder' She Called."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says if you have a Required Roll on the Summon, it could just be attempted murder....

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I want to build a couple of powers using bats or crows to accomplish a few things. Looking for input on how best to go about it. 

The few things I know I want; lets pretend they are all for crows.

Use crows to spy (Im guessing this is going to be a clairsentience vision/hearing)

Give the crow Mind Link, justified as part of the Summoning magic. Also, a very minimal Mental Illusions, limited to only feed the crow's senses through the Mind Link. It can be low value because the idea isn't to fool you, just to show you stuff.

 

Have a crow verbally deliver a simple message/command.

Give the crow Mimicry Skill and Eidetic Memory, only to remember messages or commands. Maybe with a Detect: Class of Things: Person or Location identified by Summoner, so it can know where to go to deliver a message.

 

Maybe a minor mind control for odds and ends? (follow this person....etc)

Summoning gives a number of "tasks" that cover the "odds and ends."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

some find the palindromedary odd, but one is always at the end of my post.

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Thanks man, sorry Im slow.  Your saying to build a crow that has mind link and transmit senses in it, and summon that crow right?

I'd like to summon regular crows (grab must be local, and arrives on its own accord) that I use supernaturally, instead of summoning magical crows. Does that make sense?

 

I think what Lucius and Nolgroth are getting at here is that rather than being messy and trying to give yourself powers that you dont have, it is better to build the communications and stuff right into the crows being summoned.  So, in effect, you are summoning a natural crow but the summoning means that, when it arrives, you are able to communicate with it to give it messages or hear what it has to say etc.  Just because you are building it into the crow does not mean the crow is supernatural.

 

Doc

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Ok Thanks everyone lets try. I use 5e btw.

 

Normal Cost of a Crow is -12 Lets add some special parts. 

 

Mind Link Only w/ Summoner (5) Full Feedback (-2) (Doesnt save many points but I thought it'd be a cool feature. Summoner gets hurt and a tree full of crows die all at once.) = 2 

(Small piece im confused about: The crow can only link with 1 mind at a time. Can the summoner accept 10 different links from 10 different crows at once?)

Detect: Large Class of Things (People (Summoners Target)) (10)

Skills: Mimicry (3) Eidetic Memory (5) 

Mental Illusions: (5) Only through Link (-1) = 3

 

-12 Crow becomes 11 Points.

 

Summon 11 Points crow = Cost 2

Up to 16 crows = 20

Total is 22 Pts with following Lims

Summoned being must be Local (-.5) Arrives on it own accord (-.5)

Gestures (-.25) Incantations (-.25) Extra Time: 1 Turn (-1.25) 

(Didn't bother with Amicable advantage because it shouldn't be too hard to win an EGO contest with a crow) 

Ending real cost = 6 Points. 

 

Thinking about throwing in telepathy, that'd almost give you a way to communicate remotely with someone using the crow right? 

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Mind Link allows for communication. Oh wait! Clever idea. With the crow Mind Linked to the character, I would totally rule that Telepathy would allow the crow to act as the facilitator of communication.

 

Write-up looks good.

 

Multiple crows connecting might be a distraction. You can ignore that, require link with one crow at a time, limit the number of discrete links to INT/5, or require Concentration to speak to all of them at once.

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