Doc Democracy Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 I am about to look at a pulp stargate style game. I was touting round my players for characters and potential weird talents and got the following. Now that I think about it, if there is an opportunity for something wierd, it would be nice for his intimidation to occasionally work on non-humans: guard dogs, engines that don't start, etc. Now this seems fantastic to me - an arab with a PRE attack covers most of it - but what about shouting and swearing at a recalcitrant vehicle and getting it to work? Ideas? Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent . . . Telepathy to Machine Intelligences? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted September 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent "I can talk to my car but I can't make it work! Even when I scream obscenities it just sits there and I KNOW it can understand me..." I'm doing my best to stay away from transforms, minor or otherwise, but I think it needs somethiung more than being able to communicate. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent Well, technically I'd say you'd need to first identify game mechanics of a broken down car and then have an appropriate Aid or Heal. Otherwise the clusmy fix-all of transform might be the only option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent Well' date=' technically I'd say you'd need to first identify game mechanics of a broken down car and then have an appropriate Aid or Heal. Otherwise the clusmy fix-all of transform might be the only option.[/quote'] Yup, right there. A Heal with Restores Lost Limbs (to restore large and complex missing parts) should work; it's legal for Heal to work on machines, though I'd say that it should be restricted either to "Living Class" or "Machine Class" as if it were an EGO power. Add "requires an intimidation roll". For that matter, you could cover all Cyberkinesis powers in pretty much the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent I've always considered "cinematic" things like geting a dead car to start just in time to just be an expression of Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent 3 Convince Man: Persuasion 13- 2 Convince Man's Best Friend: Animal Handler (Canines) 13- 3 Convince Machines: Mechanics 13- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenn Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent Fonzie's ability with that jukebox was cinematic, but far more than luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent Well, if you can do it at will, sure. But on the other hand, is such an "ability" worth paying points for? At some level its just shtick. Maybe a 1 point custom "Quirk" Talent. Basically there are abilities that are used in combat or to overcome obstacles, and there are other things that are just flavor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent I've always considered "cinematic" things like geting a dead car to start just in time to just be an expression of Luck. 3 Convince Man: Persuasion 13- 2 Convince Man's Best Friend: Animal Handler (Canines) 13- 3 Convince Machines: Mechanics 13- Both work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Typist Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Re: Weird Talent Use a skill for the motor, not a power. If it's significantly broken, then of course it won't work. But if it's just being cantankerous... well, that can be straightened out, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraterMaker Posted September 23, 2006 Report Share Posted September 23, 2006 Re: Weird Talent I'd buy it as Mechanics, too, but I'd add Incantations to it, and maby buy extra skill levels with Mechanics with Incantations and Noisy ($#@*&!!) CraterMaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McManus Posted September 23, 2006 Report Share Posted September 23, 2006 Re: Weird Talent I had a friend with that power in real life. But he needed a focus. He would wave a hacksaw at an engine in a treatening way. More than once I saw the recalcetrant engine start up. And then there was the time he split a log with a screwdriver. Someday I want to write him up as ToolUsingMan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zornwil Posted September 24, 2006 Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 Re: Weird Talent You could use Change Environment, that models smaller effects well, and use RSR: Persuasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Bushido Posted September 24, 2006 Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 Re: Weird Talent I've always considered "cinematic" things like geting a dead car to start just in time to just be an expression of Luck. Ditto. And Rep to you Sir, for keeping it simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted September 24, 2006 Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 Re: Weird Talent Overall skill levels with no conscious control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted September 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 Re: Weird Talent Having considered all of the options presented to me, I think that I like the Heal option the best. The skills are an interesting idea but I still think that the skill presents some level of knowledeg by the character when instead it is simply a command to pick up its wheelbed and drive. Thanks for all of the options. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualplayer Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Weird Talent I was tardy to the thread, but I just finished writing up a character for my impending Firefly game that has both a heal Aid and a movement Aid for spacecraft. He's a really good engineer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Weird Talent "Ev'rythin's shiny, Cap'n, not to fret!"-really good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainstorm Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Weird Talent I know I'm late to this too, but I was just putting together a couple of teams for the heck of it, and I've really enjoyed doing detailed write-ups on Power Skills. It may be a bit cinematic, but then again the ability itself should not be allowed if the idea is to be relentlessly gritty and realistic with the campaign. The cinematic suggestion I offer is something like the Skill "Power: Intimidate Reality." It would presume that the character would other have a distinctly superhuman PRE Characteristic or some sort of relevant Mental Power. Then it would extend to specialized applications of that superhuman ability for all manner of little "stunts" just like described in the original post. Power Skills are becoming one of my favorite innovations from when I last played in the Big Blue Book era and today with 5ER. This just seems like a perfect application for one, provided that there is an underlying superpower to justify it. Regards, Brainstorm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualplayer Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Weird Talent "Ev'rythin's shiny' date=' Cap'n, not to fret!"-really good?[/quote'] Except for he's an Alliance trained engineer, yeah, pretty much. Kind of a Simon/Kaylee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Weird Talent . . . Their lovechild?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxiMan Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Weird Talent casualplayer, please quit posting. Your avatar is seriously slowing my reading speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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