Super Skills

[Metaphysician]

What kind of power-construct-as-skill type stuff have you all built before??

[Steve Long]

Re: Super Skills

 

Oooh, good topic. Hopefully it will fill up with ideas I can swipe.

[pinecone]

Re: Super Skills

 

The Stanards...Invisability:RSR;Stealth...I often use Teleport:Vanishing:RSR;Stealt...or drop the RSR. +X DCV,RSR:Acrobatics roll, SE:-2 DCV.....Hmmm I guess I'll have to go look at old char sheets...

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Super Skills

 

In an article I've turned in for Digital Hero, I've built two for Rigellians: a super-Ventriloquism and a super-Mimicry, both using Sound Group Images in different ways. (I also use Sound Group Images for an advanced version of their "embedded messaging" ability.)

 

I don't have my article manuscript handy right now, but one could also use Mental Powers (mainly Mind Control) for super-levels of Conversation, Oratory, Persuasion, and most other Interaction Skills.

 

On another line of thought, I've always preferred Running, Totall Invisible Power Effects over limited Teleportation for the trick of "moving without being noticed."

[nexus]

Re: Super Skills

 

A somewhat kludge Super Escape Artists built with Desolidification

 

Super Climbing built with Clinging

 

Super Disguise built with Shapeshifting

 

A character that so boring he induced unconsiousness built with Ego Attack

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Super Skills

 

One could just go through the list of Skills and see what comes to mind. Here's what I can come up with without trying hard for Agility Skills (most of these would be further modified, of course, with RSR and such):

 

Acrobatics: Gliding, Position Shift; Environmental Movement (versus narrow surfaces).

 

Breakfall: Armor (PD), Only To Avoid Falling Damage; Environmental Movement (versus slipperiness).

 

Climbing: Clinging.

 

Contortionist: Shape Shift; extra STR versus Grabs and Entangles; Shrinking (1 level), Only To Hide In Small Spaces.

 

Combat Driving: Flight, UAA, Ground Vehicles Only, Must Begin And End Each Phase On Ground, Position Shift.

 

Combat Piloting: As above, but Air Vehicles Only (instead of Ground Vehicles Only) and without Must Begin And End Each Phase On Ground.

 

Fast Draw: I'm not sure what would go here.

 

Lockpicking: Transform locked lock into unlocked lock; possibly Analyze for Normal Touch.

 

Riding: Mind Control (Animal Minds); Accurate Leaping.

 

Sleight Of Hand: Telekinesis, Invisible Power Effects, No Range; Teleportation, Usable As Attack, Invisible Power Effects, Only Affects Objects Character Can Easily Move By Hand.

 

Stealth: Invisibility (Sight and Hearing Groups).

 

Teamwork: I'm not sure -- maybe Combat Skill Levels.

 

I'll look at another Skill group later.

[GamePhil]

Re: Super Skills

 

Contacts/Followers:

 

"Marked For A Hit": 2d6 RKA, Autofire, Time Delay

("Random Mugging": The same, but with EB)

"It's Who You Know I": Summoning, Friendly, Various Contacts

"It's Who You Know II": Mind Control

"It's Who You Know III": Mental Transform, Invisible

"Calling The Pro From Dover": Aid to Any One Characteristic, Only For Boosting Skills, OAF: Cell Phone

 

Combat Skill Levels (OCV):

Naked Advantage(s): Area Affect: Hex, Accurate, for STR, EB, or RKA

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: Super Skills

 

One i've used for the Sherlock Holmes recronstruction of events...

 

Retrocognative Clairsentience with the appropriate lims - time, concentration, how far back and how much info is based on a Per Roll.

[GamePhil]

Re: Super Skills

 

Although not precisely what was asked for, a friend of mine had a character called Magus some years ago. The character was a stage magician with no magical powers, but an incredible ability with deductive reasoning. Therefore, the special effect for all of his Powers is that he went to the site years before and, for example, planted explosives there knowing he would need them at some point in the future. He would then set them off with a tiny radio transmitter during the game.

 

Likewise, Teleport was explained as him having set up an escape route ahead of time. He also had the classic sensory abilities derived from him just figuring things out, I think, as were just mentioned.

 

I know there was more than that, but it's not coming to mind.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Super Skills

 

A bit of thinking through the Interaction Skills...

 

Acting: Shape Shift (Mental Sense Group).

 

Animal Handler: Mind Control (Animal Minds).

 

Bribery: Mind Control.

 

Conversation, Interrogation, Seduction: Mind Control; Telepathy.

 

High Society: I'm not sure here.

 

Oratory: Mind Control; PRE Aid and other Adjustment Powers to EGO, PRE, and maybe INT and COM.

 

Persuasion: Mind Control; Mental Illusions.

 

Trading: Maybe Mind Control.

 

Naturally, the Mental Powers would all be Based On PRE, and probably use Presence Combat Value.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Super Skills

 

High Society- perhaps a sense power for detecting relationships between people??

[Blue]

Re: Super Skills

 

One of my own characters, Lucretia, has a power called "Read Body Language".

 

It's Telepathy, cumulative, with no communicative abilities, only for figuring out frame of mind or surface thoughts, with extra time.

 

Essentially she just sits there and observes people and can figure out what they're thinking about. It's why she's such a good detective and why you should NEVER play cards against her.

[JmOz]

Re: Super Skills

 

I had a cap character who use UBO x8 on combat skill levels

[Chris Bloxham]

Re: Super Skills

 

Never had the previous DC, how does this "super skill" thing work. Is it low-powered powers used to emulate extraordinary skills?

[nexus]

Re: Super Skills

 

Never had the previous DC' date=' how does this "super skill" thing work. Is it low-powered powers used to emulate extraordinary skills?[/quote']

 

That's the gist. Using powers with "extraordinary skill" as the Special Effect.

[Chris Bloxham]

Re: Super Skills

 

Thanks for the clarification Nexus, I've just opened HD to try and throw an example into the fray, I'll come back to you in a moment...

[nexus]

Re: Super Skills

 

Thanks for the clarification Nexus' date=' I've just opened HD to try and throw an example into the fray, I'll come back to you in a moment...[/quote']

 

No problem. I always thought they were a really cool idea.

[Chris Bloxham]

Re: Super Skills

 

There are already lots of examples on the thread, doh! (I should really learn to read!). Anyhow I think I get it, low-pow invisibility = improved stealth, etc. Cant wait to see the rules to have a play with some of the more exotic powers.

[Blue]

Re: Super Skills

 

Never had the previous DC' date=' how does this "super skill" thing work. Is it low-powered powers used to emulate extraordinary skills?[/quote']

I had trouble parsing the question too

I had to wait for replies before I could pitch in my 1.5 cents.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Super Skills

 

I wanted to save the Intellect Skills until last, because that list is the longest (in FREd):

 

Analyze: Detect, with Discriminatory and Analyze; Find Weakness.

 

Bugging: Clairsentience; Enhanced Senses (especially Telescopic); Detect Surveillance Device.

 

Computer Programming: Various Mental Powers versus Machine Class, Based On INT (and possibly Intelligence Combat Value).

 

Concealment: Invisibility to hide things; Detect to find them.

 

Cramming: A VPP for Skills.

 

Criminology, Forensic Medicine: Clairsentience with all normal Sense Groups, Postcognition Only.

 

Cryptography: Telepathy for communication; possibly a VPP for codes, bought as Languages.

 

Deduction: Clairsentience, with optional Precognition and/or Postcognition; Telepathy; Mind Scan (to figure out where someone is); Find Weakness.

 

Demolitions: Energy Blast/RKA; Drain PD; Drain BODY; Find Weakness.

 

Disguise: Shape Shift.

 

Electronics, Mechanics, Weaponsmith: Transform appropriate type of device; various Adjustment Powers (especially Aid and Healing) on devices of the respective type.

 

Forensic Medicine: as Criminology, above.

 

Forgery: Transform; Images (to make something appear to be authentic when in the character's presence -- probably also needs a Persuasion roll).

 

Gambling: Luck.

Inventor: Transform; Aid.

 

Lipreading: Telepathy for receptive communication only. (As a side note, this could also be treated as a form of Literacy for a language.)

 

Mimicry: Shape Shift (Hearing Sense Group).

 

Navigation: Detect location; Detect destination, Aid Movement Powers.

 

Paramedics: Healing (duh); certain types of Life Support; Simulate Death, Usable As Attack.

 

Security Systems: Invisibility (only versus security systems); Detect security systems; Force Field/Armor (only versus physical traps -- a variation on Combat Luck); Images/Shape Shift (to fool ID systems), Gliding ("ground gliding," to get past pressure plates).

 

Shadowing: Invisibility; Detect (chosen target); Detect (Shadowing person).

 

Survival: Life Support; Detect food/water/poison/dangerous animals; Clairsentience, Precognition (only to predict the weather).

 

Systems Operation: Aid gadget powers; Detect gadget abilities; Detect weak transmissions; Enhanced Perception (to enhance detection of weak transmissions); Suppress enemy transmissions.

 

Tactics: Telepathy (to figure out the enemy's plans); Images (for trickery); DEX Aid (for combat order, OCV, and DCV from good tactical planning).

 

Ventriloquist: Images (Hearing Group).

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Super Skills

 

Then there are the "super-Skills" that don't correspond to Skills in the book -- like, what about the guy who always seems to have just the right gadget, tool, government form, or whatever else on hand? Here's the VPP with all the right Limitations. It might require a Precognitive PER Roll, or a Danger Sense Roll, with Time Chart Range Modifiers based on when the character was last at his base (or otherwise had the opportunity to change around his stuff).

 

This could be a job for The Ultimate Gadgeteer, since this sort of "Always Prepared Guy" is really a gadgeteer archetype, but the trick could fit in this book too (as could several other gadget-based VPP tricks).

[Vanguard00]

Re: Super Skills

 

And of course, The Ultimate Martial Artist and Ninja Hero both have good ideas for this sort of thing.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Super Skills

 

*salivates*

 

Its this kind of thing that makes me wanna play a non-powered character.

 

( also makes those "Skills and Super Skills" VPPs seem scarily powerful. . . )

[JmOz]

Re: Super Skills

 

Then there are the "super-Skills" that don't correspond to Skills in the book -- like, what about the guy who always seems to have just the right gadget, tool, government form, or whatever else on hand? Here's the VPP with all the right Limitations. It might require a Precognitive PER Roll, or a Danger Sense Roll, with Time Chart Range Modifiers based on when the character was last at his base (or otherwise had the opportunity to change around his stuff).

 

This could be a job for The Ultimate Gadgeteer, since this sort of "Always Prepared Guy" is really a gadgeteer archetype, but the trick could fit in this book too (as could several other gadget-based VPP tricks).

 

I would do this as a cosmic VPP with a Foci limitation and maybe a -1/4 lim of only resets at a base.

 

On VPP's I also have created this limitation, usualy for cosmics

 

May only have X powers. X is a number. what it is is for UT Belt type people who can switch powers as if it is a MP but who have to choose what slots they have before hand.

 

Both are based at change at base so are -1/4 lims (as they are not as restrictive)

[Snarf]

Re: Super Skills

 

Swinging is basically a super skill, even though it's technically bought as a form of movement.