Physical Limitation question

[ashuramarsh]

Physical Limitation:  Near Sighted w/out glasses or contact lenses; (Frequently; Slightly Impairing)

 

I am creating a character and I chose this disad, but the book doesn't really cover the effects. What would be the effects? Like -2 OCV vs anything beyond 2 hexes, etc.

[Heroic Halfwit]

I'm not sure about the "w/o glasses or contact lenses" part, seems like a focus limitation on a complication/disadvantage, but...

 

So you've got a 15 point complication/disadvantage and so far describe it as a conditional -2 penalty skill levels to ranged ocv (6 points).

 

Thinking from effects, suppose a 'near sighted" person had 20/40 vision.  So, I would double range penalties to sight perception rolls (since 20/40 means the person sees at 20 feet as clearly as "normal" people see at 40).  I would also double range penalties to OCV as the target would be blurry and it would be more difficult for the shooter to determine the target's intended path and speed, etc.

 

I might also suggest that such a person would be less able to use 0-phase sight perception rolls.  Specifically, I would limit the use of 0-phase sight perception rolls to what the person could normally see clearly, for sake of argument 10 feet or about 3 meters.

 

Now as a GM, if I ever allowed a focus limitation on a disadvantage like that, I would, by dramatic necessity, have to take the focus away.  So every once and again the character will have to leave the contacts at home (eye infection, new prescription, delay in delivery, eaten by a Galactic Monster, whatever).  I would also reduce the value of the complication by the inverse of the focus limitation, in this case you have an IIF (contacts) and thus I would say the Complication is only worth 7 pts.

 

Players and GMs will argue over the proper valuation of Complications like this, but I think your current formulation is way off the mark.  I'm not near sighted, but maybe someone else who is can provide some insight into how their vision interferes with their effectiveness as a super hero.

 

Complications aren't really designed as negative powers like your -2 OCV vs. anything beyond 2 hexes.  If you want a negative power, it's pretty easy to do so on the front end (don't buy combat skill levels) or the back end (often with limitations like Side Effects).

[Christopher R Taylor]

I'd put some range penalties on OCV and perception and leave it at that (like doubled or something).  The frequency is based on how often the situation arises in your game, so its up to the GM how often you lose a contact lens or your glasses get broken etc.

[ashuramarsh]

Well Phys Lim: Nearsighted doesn't quite describe exactly what it does. all the examples, except for Phys Lim: Blind describes some effect with the limit.

 

Heavy sleeper, -3 to checks to wake up.

One eye: half OCV and no peripheral sight on the affected side.

 

It is also only a 10 point Limitation.

 

Well I can say this, as I am nearsighted, reading a book at arms length is not an issue, street signs, like the ones on corners with 'tiny' print are hard to read except when close up, or almost in effect passing it. But in general other things, like buildings, cars and people are not blurry.

 

I made it Frequent because of the fact she may not have glasses or contacts at all times, I wasn't actually applying a focus to the disad. I was making Minor mainly based on my own experience, I think I am around a 20/30

 

Thanks for the info, I am just trying to gather ideas.

[tombrown803]

I'm nearsighted as well. From personal experience doubling the penalties would be about right for the game, just to keep it simple. Ashuramarsh's might be able to read a book at arms reach, but I'm nearsighted enough that I can't.

 

[Lucius]

Near Sighted: (Total: 13 Active Cost, 1 Real Cost) +3 INT (3 Active Points); Reduced By Range (-1/4), Limited Range (-1/4) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic) (Real Cost: -1) <b>plus</b> +2 OCV (10 Active Points); Reduced By Range (-1/4), Limited Range (-1/4) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic) (Real Cost: 2)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Is that a palindromedary over there?

[IndianaJoe3]

Physical Limitation:  Near Sighted w/out glasses or contact lenses; (Frequently; Slightly Impairing)

 

I am creating a character and I chose this disad, but the book doesn't really cover the effects. What would be the effects? Like -2 OCV vs anything beyond 2 hexes, etc.

 

I'd say that the -2 penalty for range modifiers is appropriate for, "Slightly impairing". "Frequently" means that it's going to come up fairly often, probably every session but not every scene.

[BoloOfEarth]

One note:  I'd question the choice of Frequently if the character has corrective lenses built into her costume and thus is never without them while in costume.  Sure, she spends a good chunk of time out of costume, but honestly, how often is needing to read something going to come up in-game?

[Doc Democracy]

One note:  I'd question the choice of Frequently if the character has corrective lenses built into her costume and thus is never without them while in costume.  Sure, she spends a good chunk of time out of costume, but honestly, how often is needing to read something going to come up in-game?

The obvious answer to how often is exactly how often the limitation says it does. Frequently means that those corrective lenses go wrong pretty often....

[Amorkca]

This was taken from the Cellular smoke signals archive part of the Way Back Machine...

 

Nearsighted

Infrequently, Greatly 10pts.
This character cannot see objects clearly if they are more than a few feet away. When using a ranged attack, all of the character's range modifiers are doubled. The size of the object and the details of the object may have an effect on this. For example, even the most nearsighted of people would be able to hit a building. Since most campaigns happen in a modern setting, and glasses or contact lenses are freely available to just about anyone who needs them, the frequency of this Disadvantage is Infrequently. If the campaign is taking place in the past when such items were not so readily available, the frequency becomes Frequently, adding five points to the value.

[BoloOfEarth]

This was taken from the Cellular smoke signals archive part of the Way Back Machine...

 

Nearsighted

Infrequently, Greatly 10pts.

This character cannot see objects clearly if they are more than a few feet away. When using a ranged attack, all of the character's range modifiers are doubled. The size of the object and the details of the object may have an effect on this. For example, even the most nearsighted of people would be able to hit a building. Since most campaigns happen in a modern setting, and glasses or contact lenses are freely available to just about anyone who needs them, the frequency of this Disadvantage is Infrequently. If the campaign is taking place in the past when such items were not so readily available, the frequency becomes Frequently, adding five points to the value.

 

The Sphinx approves of this version, both the frequency as well as the penalties for not having corrected lenses.

 

And FYI, you don't need to use the Way Back Machine any longer.  Ghost-angel has graciously restored them to their former glory.  You can find them at http://www.cellularsmoke.net/rpgs/masterlistdisads.php.

 

Needless to say, G-A rocks. 

[mrinku]

Yep. Infrequent for a modern setting (in fact anything much after the 1500's IMHO). On the other hand, an illiterate character in an earlier time might also count for infrequent, especially if their job wasn't very sight dependent.

 

Severity based on how bad the eyes are. I'd definitely be Greatly Impaired.

[Matt the Bruins]

I might also suggest that such a person would be less able to use 0-phase sight perception rolls.  Specifically, I would limit the use of 0-phase sight perception rolls to what the person could normally see clearly, for sake of argument 10 feet or about 3 meters.

That works if you're rolling Perception to read captions on a TV across the room, but I assure you I'm still able to recognize people by sight considerably more than 3 meters away, and am unlikely to overlook a guard dog until I've approached within easy leaping distance of it.

[L0rd_Magg0t]

Imagine Velma Dinky as a Hero character. She lost her glasses every other episode it seems like. Maybe a activation roll on that limitation during physical activities to see if they fall out?

[mrinku]

Meh. Just go with the points the player got for it. If Velma's player wants to lose them regularly, it's Common. If they're less careless, Uncommon.

 

Edit: Actually I was just reminded of Professor Branestawm who had five pairs of spectacles (sometimes more) but was constantly losing them. In his case it's definitely Very Common, Greatly.  As would be his Psych: Absent Mindedness.