How many power skills?

[Bloodstone]

Let's say we have a character that is something of a Brick/Speedster in the vein of a low powered Superman. Just for giggles, lets even say that he is an Alien that derives much of his powers from the light of a yellow sun.

 

Now this character has a moderate sized VPP refered to as the Krypton..er.. Alien Ingenuity pool. This VPP has a -1/4 LIM because it can only be used for tricks that a Brick or Speedster might do, which the GM feels is only a Slightly Limited/Very Common SFX. So Hand Claps and Super Spin Tunneling are fine, but no turning into make-believe things like, oh, pink dragons and stuff...

 

Now with all that in mind, do you think the player should be required to have one power skill (Alien Ingenuity) or two (Brick Tricks for anything Strength/Toughness based and Speedster Stunts for the rest)?

[Captain Obvious]

Re: How many power skills?

 

Total GM call. It could go either way, really. I, personally, would just go with the one power skill for this particular special effect.

[stmichaeldet]

Re: How many power skills?

 

I'd say one, since the VPP is intended to create effects for Superm. . . I mean, this alien's character concept, sfx, and power set as a whole. Plus, if you require two seperate skills, you'll just end up splitting hairs down the road when you end up having to categorize each clever player idea as a "brick" or "speedster" effect to determine which roll applies.

 

- St. Michael

[Ndreare]

Re: How many power skills?

 

I would allow this as a Single power skill called "Body Control" or something like that.

[Wanderer]

Re: How many power skills?

 

If I may seize the thread just a bit, the adjudication of the Power Skill(s) is something that oftentimes puzzles me, typically when a character has a single overarching SFX, or multiple related SFX, that cause him to belong in several different power archetypes: e.g. let's suppose a character that has moderate Brick and Speedster powers (e.g. Superman family, Marvel family, Nova, Mar-vell), is a mid-level Energy Projector (e.g. Silver Surfer, Quasar, Phoenix, Magneto, Mar-vell), has significant Telekinetic (and/or Matter Control) powers (Silver Surfer, Phoenix, Magneto), or, alternatively, is a shapeshifter (Super-Skrull), and occasionally dabbles in advanced super-science (or sorcery), nothing major, occasionally making or repairing minor typical Champions gadgets, because of his background (alien or dimensional visitor or human super-subrace with advanced scientific or magical culture, genius, history of alien/interdimensional training). Let's also suppose such a character is not (yet) mastering own powers enough to use VPPs. How many Power Skills should such a character use, from one to five ??

[Dust Raven]

Re: How many power skills?

 

Let's say we have a character that is something of a Brick/Speedster in the vein of a low powered Superman. Just for giggles, lets even say that he is an Alien that derives much of his powers from the light of a yellow sun.

 

Now this character has a moderate sized VPP refered to as the Krypton..er.. Alien Ingenuity pool. This VPP has a -1/4 LIM because it can only be used for tricks that a Brick or Speedster might do, which the GM feels is only a Slightly Limited/Very Common SFX. So Hand Claps and Super Spin Tunneling are fine, but no turning into make-believe things like, oh, pink dragons and stuff...

 

Now with all that in mind, do you think the player should be required to have one power skill (Alien Ingenuity) or two (Brick Tricks for anything Strength/Toughness based and Speedster Stunts for the rest)?

 

One VPP, one Power Skill.

[Dust Raven]

Re: How many power skills?

 

If I may seize the thread just a bit' date=' the adjudication of the Power Skill(s) is something that oftentimes puzzles me, typically when a character has a single overarching SFX, or multiple related SFX, that cause him to belong in several different power archetypes: e.g. let's suppose a character that has moderate Brick and Speedster powers (e.g. Superman family, Marvel family, Nova, Mar-vell), is a mid-level Energy Projector (e.g. Silver Surfer, Quasar, Phoenix, Magneto, Mar-vell), has significant Telekinetic (and/or Matter Control) powers (Silver Surfer, Phoenix, Magneto), or, alternatively, is a shapeshifter (Super-Skrull), and occasionally dabbles in advanced super-science (or sorcery), nothing major, occasionally making or repairing minor typical Champions gadgets, because of his background (alien or dimensional visitor or human super-subrace with advanced scientific or magical culture, genius, history of alien/interdimensional training). Let's also suppose such a character is not (yet) mastering own powers enough to use VPPs. How many Power Skills should such a character use, from one to five ??[/quote']

 

Depending one the character, no more than two, and only rarely that many. Most of the little things these characters do would be covered by other Skills (like Mechanics, Electroics or a Science Skill or whatever). Each typically only has one thing they do, though they can to many things with it. It's not like they can borrow other types of powers, or subsets of powers from other people to play with them. All they really have is a single SFX and at most a single Power Skill to cover it. Should a character have two seperate/unrelated SFX, then he might have two (such as a character that manipulates a particular element, and is also a mechanical gadget wiz).

[Mike W]

Re: How many power skills?

 

For the original, I'd say use one power skill since it is primarily built around one special effect(superhuman physique which grants extra speed and strength).

 

For Wanderer's idea, I think I'd invoke a GM clause and build it like Survival. So one power skill, but you have to pay one extra point for each additional power set you want to apply it to after the first.

[Guest C--]

Re: How many power skills?

 

If I may seize the thread just a bit' date=' the adjudication of the Power Skill(s) is something that oftentimes puzzles me, typically when a character has a single overarching SFX, or multiple related SFX, that cause him to belong in several different power archetypes: e.g. let's suppose a character that has moderate Brick and Speedster powers (e.g. Superman family, Marvel family, Nova, Mar-vell), is a mid-level Energy Projector (e.g. Silver Surfer, Quasar, Phoenix, Magneto, Mar-vell), has significant Telekinetic (and/or Matter Control) powers (Silver Surfer, Phoenix, Magneto), or, alternatively, is a shapeshifter (Super-Skrull), and occasionally dabbles in advanced super-science (or sorcery), nothing major, occasionally making or repairing minor typical Champions gadgets, because of his background (alien or dimensional visitor or human super-subrace with advanced scientific or magical culture, genius, history of alien/interdimensional training). Let's also suppose such a character is not (yet) mastering own powers enough to use VPPs. How many Power Skills should such a character use, from one to five ??[/quote']

 

Power Skill: Vartox powers.

[prestidigitator]

Re: How many power skills?

 

Remember, too, that labels like, "brick, speedster, blaster," are really just that. They aren't concepts. You shouldn't feel the need to limit your concept by them. Different labels could easily have been chosen to describe common elements of character concept. Such as...I don't know, "attacker, defender, healer," or even, "fighter, rogue, priest?" Eh. Just examples.

 

Anyway, just because a character could be labeled as a, "brick/speedster," doesn't mean you have to think of it as a, "multi-classed," character. It is one character with one concept. Make your concept the most important thing about the character, not how (s)he fits into other peoples' stereotypes.

[Guest C--]

Re: How many power skills?

 

Make your concept the most important thing about the character' date=' not how (s)he fits into other peoples' stereotypes.[/quote']

 

Unless you're playing Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, El Dorado, or Samurai. Then people's stereotypes are the most important thing.

[Bloodstone]

Re: How many power skills?

 

Anyway, just because a character could be labeled as a, "brick/speedster," doesn't mean you have to think of it as a, "multi-classed," character. It is one character with one concept. Make your concept the most important thing about the character, not how (s)he fits into other peoples' stereotypes.

 

It wasn't so much a stereo types thing actually. Well, ok, maybe a little, but there was more to it then that.

 

In the games that I've played in, Speedsters usually have a Power skill based off INT, while Bricks normally have one based off DEX. This is apparently done to prevent the skills from being too high by giving the Speedster a DEX based roll or the Brick a STR based one. In the end, I wrote this power skill up ad INT.

 

However, this game also has a resident mutant mage (based very losely off Magik from the New Mutants). She has at least two power skills: your basic Magic skill and another for Teleportation tricks, which are derived from her mutant powers, as opposed to sorcery. I'm not too worried about steping on her toes, since I think the Superclone has tighter SFX, but it was still something that I wanted to ask about.

[prestidigitator]

Re: How many power skills?

 

It wasn't so much a stereo types thing actually. Well, ok, maybe a little, but there was more to it then that.

 

In the games that I've played in, Speedsters usually have a Power skill based off INT, while Bricks normally have one based off DEX. This is apparently done to prevent the skills from being too high by giving the Speedster a DEX based roll or the Brick a STR based one. In the end, I wrote this power skill up ad INT.

 

However, this game also has a resident mutant mage (based very losely off Magik from the New Mutants). She has at least two power skills: your basic Magic skill and another for Teleportation tricks, which are derived from her mutant powers, as opposed to sorcery. I'm not too worried about steping on her toes, since I think the Superclone has tighter SFX, but it was still something that I wanted to ask about.

Sure. I just wanted to express that you don't have to have a, "brick," Power Skill and a, "speedster," Power Skill. If you want them then fine, but the important part is more that the Skill(s) fit with your concept than that they conform to popular stereotypes.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: How many power skills?

 

However' date=' this game also has a resident mutant mage (based very losely off Magik from the New Mutants). She has at least two power skills: your basic Magic skill and another for Teleportation tricks, which are derived from her mutant powers, as opposed to sorcery. [/quote']

 

 

Now THAT I would say needs two Power skills. Nice example.