jkwleisemann Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 I'm reviewing a character with Regeneration (all the assorted advantages and disadvantages picked out) with Resurrection and a number of non-recoverable charges, as well as Resurrection Only (9-lives routine for a cat-like hero). The problem is, there's also an "Always On" limitation there. I'm having a hard time figuring out just how it's really a limitation; the player argues in favor of it on the grounds that it means anybody trying to detect her powers will always have an active power to detect. I know that I have the weight of "I'm the GM" on my side, but I'd rather make sure that I actually understand the rules before enforcing them. So. Always On. It requires that there be an honest-to-God drawback to the power always being on, doesn't it? Beyond the fact that you have an active power that could be detected? And it's a 0-END power, so the player's secondary argument (that, with powers that do require Endurance, it causes a massive, constant END drain... which is, I think, illegal...) doesn't apply. I've always been under the impression that, in order to benefit from Always On as a limitation, you needed something to make it a problem. Like Desolid, Always On - can't touch things, at least not without spending massive amounts of points to make your strength Affects Solid. Or Damage Shield, Always On - whatever you touch gets hurt. Or Force Field, Always On - you tend to have trouble eating, and similar restrictions. I just can't see how a Resurrection Only Regeneration (assuming that it would even be *possible* to call that 'Always On,' since it doesn't activate until the character kicks the bucket) has a limitation with being Always On, unless it's expected that the character will routinely wish to die but end up having to do so until her Charges burn out in order to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Can you write out the specifics for the power, JK? I think healing/regeneration is already always on. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GamePhil Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Only thing that comes to mind is if you have a particularly mystical/spiritual theme to your game, where being dead for a while is a *good* thing and this character can't go on those adventures. I almost certainly wouldn't allow it, and what the player is arguing for is a Distinctive Feature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GamePhil Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Can you write out the specifics for the power, JK? I think healing/regeneration is already always on. CES Nope, Self Only is the only usual Limitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zed-F Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Wouldn't allow 'always on'. There definitely needs to be a downside to having it always on, and there need to be times when the character would wish it were not. I can't see that applying here. Regeneration is normally invisible except when in use anyway. The power already has Extra Time, Self Only, and Resurrection Only lims. Adding Always On is inappropriate and won't save many more points anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenn Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... There is a drawback to it being Always On. Eight phases of game play, and he's out of charges. Also, Always On could imply that he's always regrowing cells at a tremendous rate. He's be costantly sloughing off skin and his hair length would be phenomenal (a la DC's the Shaggy Man.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkwleisemann Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Specifics: Healing, 1 BODY, Resurrection, 0-END, Persistent, 8 non-recoverable Charges, Extra Time (5 minutes, Regen-Only), Always On, Resurrection Only, Self Only. Like I said; I'm a little leery of the Always On, not being able to perceive any particular disadvantage to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkwleisemann Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... There is a drawback to it being Always On. Eight phases of game play, and he's out of charges. Also, Always On could imply that he's always regrowing cells at a tremendous rate. He's be costantly sloughing off skin and his hair length would be phenomenal (a la DC's the Shaggy Man.) If it weren't for being Resurrection Only, I'd go for that one, honestly. As it is, I was mostly looking to make sure that my interpretation of the rules was accurate. Since it seems it was.... *heads off to PM the player* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Schultz Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... To try to answer your question - how is having Always On a limitation? That implies that there is some circumstance that they would not want to ressurrect themselves, but they are forced to. Caught in a death trap and forced to die 9 times in a row, unless their allies save them? Eh, maybe. Let the character take it, with the PROMISE that they will face exactally that situation, if they take the limitation. That's how I like to view limitations: not as a way to get more points, but as a request to the GM to create plots which play to those limitations. EDIT - Taking Always On also implies that people with the ressurrection power have a choice as to whether or not they ressurrect; although I don't have the book in front of me, I don't think the power is written that way. Or rather, if it IS written that way, it's a choice only the living character can have: to turn the rez power on or off. If they die with it off, then they simply don't ever come back. Thus, I don't really see that as being a -1/2 limitation, as it implies that the ability to make your character stay permenently dead is somehow an advantage. Other than GM-enforced death-traps (as above), I don't see this as being true. If they wanted to talke Always On/Inherant, I'd let them, though, if only for the death-trap threat. Plus, it ends up as being at best a -1/4 limitation, which, when combined with the OTHER lmitations already on it, is probably trivial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Specifics: Healing, 1 BODY, Resurrection, 0-END, Persistent, 8 non-recoverable Charges, Extra Time (5 minutes, Regen-Only), Always On, Resurrection Only, Self Only. Like I said; I'm a little leery of the Always On, not being able to perceive any particular disadvantage to it. Well, it it's always on, it must be active whether you want it to be or not. That means his 8 charges are all activated in 8 phases, and will kick in, in rapid succession, 5 minutes from now in 8 consecutive phases. you could be nice and say each charge takes 5 minutes, so he has 40 minutes of Regen. BTW, doesn't 1 BOD regen only heal 1 BOD - resurrection or otherwise - per time period? That means he recovers 1 BOD from 1 charge. If he's dead at -10 BOD, he's now at -9, but he'll just die again at PS 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkwleisemann Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Yeah, technically that's what it does, but I've never liked the idea of being *that* strict about it, especially in a semi-4-color game where character death isn't supposed to be a regular occurrence. So that's a GM call that 1 body would be sufficient (although leave her practically dead, and desperately in need of medical help.) The argument *was* made recently that if it *wasn't* Always On, then it couldn't work, because the character would have to make the choice to turn it on after they're dead. That I definitely don't see (especially since that would make it an advantage, not a limitation). But, since it's only 1 point savings, I'm okay with the idea of letting the character through, if they buy it off with their first XP (or, obviously reworking it so that the char's effectively 1 point cheaper.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzMike Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: Always On.... Specifics: Healing, 1 BODY, Resurrection, 0-END, Persistent, 8 non-recoverable Charges, Extra Time (5 minutes, Regen-Only), Always On, Resurrection Only, Self Only. Like I said; I'm a little leery of the Always On, not being able to perceive any particular disadvantage to it. You could even recommended that the player by DEX, Always On, for her character... Or Armour Always on... Or... You get the picture. Actually the thing I think your player might be looking at is a little advantage called 'Inherent', which implies (for me at least) Always On in a persistent power. And if it's only one point, why is the player quibbling? You are the GM. Be the boss, just like Tony Danza. If they get bent out of shape about it, they need to grow up a bit methinks "The most important lesson I have ever learnt in life is that it is ok to set boundaries and say 'No'." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vorsch Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Re: Always On.... If the character dosent actually regenerate and just resurects then its a fair lim. By default resurect is always on, your dead and can take no actions. Hence cant activate this power, unless its always on. Just had to reiterate that point appologies As to inherent, my arms are, but i dont actually have to use them all the time. Plus inherent is a stupid advantage, name me 2 official characters that have it. (dispell multiple limbs, i ask you, sigh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Schultz Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Re: Always On.... If the character dosent actually regenerate and just resurects then its a fair lim. By default resurect is always on, your dead and can take no actions. Hence cant activate this power, unless its always on. Actually, I believe the default build (Healing+Ressurrection, 0 END, Persistant, Self Only, Extra Time (post 12)) works without being Always On. The decision to turn it on or not occurs while the character is concious. If they choose not to have their healing ability turned on, then if they die they don't come back. Thus, Always On is not assumed, as it's possible to turn it off and have it not work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Re: Always On.... I think what he actually wants is 'Trigger' (The trigger being reduced to a certain negative body total). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GamePhil Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Re: Always On.... If the character dosent actually regenerate and just resurects then its a fair lim. By default resurect is always on, your dead and can take no actions. Hence cant activate this power, unless its always on. Uhm, no, that's what Persistent does. The power is already turned on and doesn't go down when the character is knocked unconscious or killed. Always On, like other Limitations, doesn't actually give you more utility, it gives you less. As to inherent, my arms are, but i dont actually have to use them all the time. Plus inherent is a stupid advantage, name me 2 official characters that have it. (dispell multiple limbs, i ask you, sigh) Inherent would simply cause it to not be Dispeled by someone that wanted to keep him dead. In fact, quite a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkwleisemann Posted August 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Re: Always On.... Uhm' date=' no, that's what Persistent does. The power is already turned on and doesn't go down when the character is knocked unconscious or killed. [/quote'] Which is how I've always ruled it, at any rate. Always On, like other Limitations, doesn't actually give you more utility, it gives you less. And this is my primary problem with the build as-is. It's only 1 point, but I don't want to set precedent for letting people take limitations that aren't limitations just because 'it's not that many points difference.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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