Advantage: "no roll required"

[zornwil]

Re: Advantage: "no roll required"

 

Well, to be fair, that's how it's been at various times for a while - serials were the big thing in Doyle's/Dickens' days and each of these great authors (I don't like Dickens but that's just me, I know) has been cited as deliberately increasing word count to draw out serials.

 

Anyway, as to characters making notes for later and then never hearing about it again, I think that's a lot like life!

[radioKAOS]

Re: Advantage: "no roll required"

 

Going with GA's suggestion:

 

12pts Mental Notes: Retrocognitive Clairsentience (Mental Group), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (60 Active Points); Only to Recall Memorized Mental Notes (-2), Retrocognition Only (-1), No Conscious Control (Character Cannot Turn Power On, But Information Is Always Relevant; -1) 0END

 

But since it's really more of a plot device than anything, I'd be tempted to call it a talent and leave it at that.

 

5pts Mental Notes: Similar to Eidetic Memory, but the player can only recall specific 'notes' which he has left to himself. He may keep up to Int/5 'notes' at the ready. Mechanics wise this means the GM will have to remind the player of any mental notes he set if they are relevant to the situation.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Advantage: "no roll required"

 

Well talents, although built (often) as detects specifically do not need rolls unless the GM decides you have to for everyday effects.

 

So get this talent passed:

 

'Take a Mental Note'

 

Detect time when you are supposed to remember something (3 points)

 

As a GM I'd not allow it and require you to remember it yourself or write it down or something, or you are just transferring memory tasks to the GM.

 

Hell you could probably build 'eidetic memory' as sa detect if you wanted.

 

As to the original question the problem with having a 'skill advantage' that removes the need to roll is that skills are cheap and even a +2 advantage would make the skill cost a mere 6 points: the equivalent of buying the skill at +2.

 

The answer is not easy but generally I'd require you to buy a skill +2 point levels (or 1 point levels if you have the right enhancer), but for particular narrow applications of a particular skill I might allow a talent to eb constructed and (generally) waive the roll, unless, for example, a skill v skill were needed.