lazarus Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 How would you build a Wand of Wonder? Basically, a pile of effects, with a random effect chosen at activation. The first step would be the list of powers, which I'd do as an EC, I think. But, then, how to determine the power at game-time? Laz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgrandjean Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Personally, I'd go for a VPP; Cosmic, -11 skill (independent), OIF: wand, gestures, NCC, Independent, Side effects on -8, 50 charges. Just point the wand and pray the GM likes you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazarus Posted August 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Few things I don't know about that (I've only got Sidekick): VPP allows variable active points, up to the amount of cap it has? Cosmic means what? The skill is what? NCC is an acronym I don't recognize. Side effects probably should be higher, right? Actually, I'd want to build this as a list of effects, with the random one getting applied, a la D&D, as a GM tool. Laz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcady Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder If you want to clone the DnD item, use a multipower with all ultra slots and a limit on the pool that which power is used is random. You could base the value of that limitation off of readin Uncontrolled and seeing how similar or dissimilar what you're doing is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Cosmic VPP all the way. Build a Variable Power Pool, the Control Cost would be "Cosmic" -- a combination of "Powers Change as a Zero Phase Action" and "No Skill Roll Required." This is a +2 Advantage on the Control Cost. Tack on "No choice of how or when powers change" {-1}, "Slightly Limited Class of Powers Available (Random Table)" {-1/4}, "Independent" {-2} (since anyone can pick up and use a Rod of Wonder, IIRC,) and a custom limitation based on side effects "Powers chosen may not always help user" {-1}. Then put on "Obvious Accessible Focus" {-1} on the whole pool, meaning this limitation would apply to every power -- not that it matters since only one power can be chosen at a time so the limitation means little other than to shave a few points and give the game effect of it being a Rod, which is very much obvious and accessible. Now, build a table of the powers available -- build each power based on the rules of your VPP, and create a table on which you roll to see what effect happens when the player uses the Rod. The above rendition of the Rod of Wonder would cost 62 Points for a 50 Active Point VPP. If you use Hero Designer 2.0 I can send you the .hdc file for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazarus Posted August 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder that's awesome Kraven. When I get 5ER, I'll read up more on the VPP stuff. Until then, I'd probably just "fake it" as a list of powers, built within 50 AP or something. When I finally get the book, I'd stat it out proper. Now, of course, this is all academic, as I have no FH group Laz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcady Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder VPP's are all fun and nice, but the DnD Rod of Wonder is a finite list, something of a table of preset powers - best done with a multipower, which will also be much cheaper in point cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder If you want to clone the DnD item' date=' use a multipower with all ultra slots and a limit on the pool that which power is used is random. You could base the value of that limitation off of readin Uncontrolled and seeing how similar or dissimilar what you're doing is.[/quote'] Wouldn't a multipower which uses slots randomly (as opposed to allowing the player to pick) use the lesser version of the No Conscious Control limitation? That's how I interpreted it when I converted a bunch of Mythus Magick spells, at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgrandjean Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Finite set of powers? Ppphhhtttt!!!! What's the point of modeling D&D if you can't do it better? As a brief aside, the reason I'd include a skill roll is that it would allow for a failure to activate side effects. VPP allows for any power that fits the SFX of the pool. So for a 50 pt pool, it could generate any benefitial power up to 50 pts on a positive result and from 30 to 60 pts (depending on the severity of the side effects) variable disadvantage (or effect) on a negative result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcady Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Sure, make a better concept. But a conversion should be true - including in the limitations. If you want the concept of a wondrous wand - that's one thing. But if you want the Wand of Wonder ®, that's another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest taxboy4 Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Why bother working it out - why not simply give to the players, roll the effect from your trust old copy of the DMG? I never bother working out points for magic items or NPC spells, they just can ..I get enough bloody numbers at work all day to bother with them in my free time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Why bother working it out - why not simply give to the players, roll the effect from your trust old copy of the DMG? I never bother working out points for magic items or NPC spells, they just can ..I get enough bloody numbers at work all day to bother with them in my free time... That works until a) a player wants to make one or a player wants to dispel or alter one of the effects. I agree that working everything out from scratch is a pain in the nether regions, but then that's what this board is for! cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazarus Posted August 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Re: HTB: Wand of Wonder Also, I'm not a Number Cruncher at work, and so some of my math fun comes from my games. Laz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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