Would you consider this an abuse of the system?

[Samaritan]

I'm putting together a concept for a magic based character that will be using a focus for part of his powers. Part of the concept is that the focus acts as a 'channel' for the mystical power that infuses his body... allows him to fly, fire energy bolts, etc.

 

Without it, he becomes essentially a brick (high STR and ED/PD) with a magic special f/x.

 

As such, I'm thinking of building the suite of foci powers via a Multipower (I don't think you can do EC via a focus, can you?), and then buying the powers that 'kick in' without the focus with a Limitation ("Only without focus", -1/4 or so).

 

Would this be considered an abuse? Or simply a weird useage of the rules? Or should it be a Multiform instead (I'd like him to keep the same appearance and personality, memories, etc.)?

 

Think of those 'multi tiered' bosses you encounter in video games... the mroe you beat up on him, the more his tactics change. Frankly, I like the idea of enemies thinking he's powerless without the focus, and then be shocked when he chucks a car at them.

 

Any input would be appreciated!

[Talon]

Re: Would you consider this an abuse of the system?

 

Can the character just hand the focus to a friend to invoke these other powers? If so, I would probably consider it a -0 Limitation and encourage the use of Multiform. (With Multiform, there's no problem keeping the same memories as a special effect; just make sure both forms have the same skills.)

[Samaritan]

Re: Would you consider this an abuse of the system?

 

Can the character just hand the focus to a friend to invoke these other powers? If so' date=' I would probably consider it a -0 Limitation and encourage the use of Multiform. (With Multiform, there's no problem keeping the same memories as a special effect; just make sure both forms have the same skills.)[/quote']

 

Hadn't thought of that (see? I'm not the abusive player type!), honestly. Nice catch. My knee-jerk response would be 'No. It has to be taken away without his consent." But I suppose that could be a lot of record keeping... though it might also encourage the GM to make use of the weakness of the focus (something I don't see often... not many Disarms/Grabs going on in my gaming group).

 

Multiform... yeah, I suppose that would probably be it, too. Can one form have a focus, and the other not (just out of curiosity)?

[Zed-F]

Re: Would you consider this an abuse of the system?

 

If I were the GM, I would tend to say he can have a focus but gets a -0 lim for it, because you can always switch to your other form and still retain pretty much full combat power (just with different attack modes.) If I were feeling generous I might allow a -1/4 restrainable on them.

 

If taking the focus away affected both forms equally, I would give you full value for the focus lim, but that doesn't sound like the direction you want to go.

[JmOz]

Re: Would you consider this an abuse of the system?

 

I'm a really GENEROUG GM:

 

First off YES EC's CAN TAKE FOCI LIMITATIONS (Imagine a character who has a magic hammer that allows them to manipulate the weather, why shoud this guy not be able to take the EC the mutant weather manipulator can?)

 

Second: I dislike the idea of a character loosing the foci and by so doing gains powers, to easy for him to leave it behind etc...

 

AS SUCH: I would sugest the following: Build what powers you can with a non limited MP, placing your brick stuff inside of it, then the "mage stuff" can take the foci limit on the slots...

 

Otherwise I would say on the brick abilities the best you will get is a -1/4...but even that is questionable...

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Would you consider this an abuse of the system?

 

I like the MultiForm approach. Make the Brick his base form, and he can shift form only if he has the focus. With the focus, he can channel his energies, efectively becoming a character with entirely different powers. Without it, he's "stuck" as a Brick.

 

In my view, the "focus" character ends up with no limitation for the focus since it can't be removed without eliminating that character entirely.

 

Reverting to Brick form when the focus is taken away is more SFX than anything else, in my opinion.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Would you consider this an abuse of the system?

 

If not going down the multiform route then I would say that one set of powers needs to have a limitation on them and, to me, it would seem to be the brick powers that should get it.

 

When the character is in its 'base' form it has a focus and divine powers but there must have been points spent on the brick powers that cannot be used. They _are_ limited - possibly only like -1/4 as per OIHID but limited nevertheless. It's almost like an anti-focus for the brick powers as much as a focus for the divine powers.

 

Personally I find multiform to be a bit of a drag but it looks like the best bet. Removes any argument about what powers get the limitation and how much it should be. As suggested the focus is then simply part of the special effects of the transformation from one form to another.

 

 

Doc