Variable Power Pools

[OddHat]

Re: Variable Power Pools

 

 

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These are excellent, as is the idea for VPP Cards in general. Rep when I can.

[OddHat]

Re: Variable Power Pools

 

Just a quick question about those.

 

I have been interested in testing them out, yet I am a bit confused.

 

I think I understand the gist, but my GM claims that he likes to avoid VPPs.

 

The reason I find this confusing is that to me it looks like a reasonable way to allow characters to build their wizards' spells. That's how I've seen most of you guys draw up character sheets at least, of those posted. The GM makes us buy them as individual powers.

 

Now, I have no problem with this, but, as a GM, I have been considering letting my Fantasy campaigners buy spells via a VPP. I haven't had a chance to disucss in detail with the other GM, so I was wondering what sort of abuse or loopholes or gamebreaking aspects there are to VPPs that I should look out for, etc.

 

Oh, and this is for a Heroic level, 75+75 point campaign.

 

 

It makes a significant difference in power. If your wizard has to buy each spell as a separate power, he's going to have relatively few spells, and he'll grow very slowly. Non-Wizards will be learning skills and boosting stats while the Wizard saves up for a new Fireball spell. If you want to keep Wizards from overshadowing other character tyes, it's a valid approach.

 

MPs change that balance (each new spell will cost only a point or two), and VPPs change it even more (each new spell takes only meeting the conditions the GM sets to learn it). This is fine if you want an Ars Magica or Mage type game, or if you're simulating fiction where Wizards can come up with anything given some time to think. However, it can leave the other characters feeling useless, and you might end up with a wizards-only party. This is even more likely in a Heroic campaign with power frameworks. I'm not saying "don't do that"; just be aware of the change in flavor that approach may bring.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Variable Power Pools

 

These are excellent' date=' as is the idea for VPP Cards in general. Rep when I can.[/quote']

Thanks! They've been a big help for me, as well as much appreciated by my fellow GM. Set up the way I have them, each individual Advantage or Limitation gets its own line, so it's easy to scan quickly, and I'm always sure to include in the "notes" section on the back any specific book or page references for unusal effects or options so there's a way to look stuff up quickly if need be. It also has the benefit that if I need to make a quick change in the field, it's often not necessary to refigure points, because an "in the field" change is almost always needing a particular Advantage the device doesn't currently have. This way, I can say "Okay, I need to tack on a +3/4 Advantage; so I can dump this +1/2 Advantage and this +1/4 Advantage...hmmm...guess I'll have to do without No Range Modifier and Reduced END for a while..."

 

Though I didn't show any examples, the cards for stuff from the Magic pool are set up the same way. They generally have more Limitations tacked on, though, to bring the cost down even more, because I need to stretch my 35 point Magic pool as much as possible; a great many of them only cost 2-4 points each, but take an hour or more in the lab to create/prepare, and once it's used up, I won't have access to it again until I have the chance to prepare another potion or write out another scroll or forge another amulet.

 

And while I can work magic by just casting spells "on the fly", 35 points doesn't go very far if about the only Limitations you can put on an individual spell is Gestures and Incantations for a total of -1/2.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Variable Power Pools

 

Thnx Oddhat.

 

And everyone else.

 

I now see the light.