Requires skill roll

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

There are lots of power modifiers that are "highly dependent on the power it is being applied to and the overall build of the character." Why does this one in particular bother you?

 

And there's no reason to assume that all powers are going to be 60 Active, even in a superheroic game where 60 is typical for attacks.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

There are lots of power modifiers that are "highly dependent on the power it is being applied to and the overall build of the character." Why does this one in particular bother you?

 

And there's no reason to assume that all powers are going to be 60 Active, even in a superheroic game where 60 is typical for attacks.

 

It bothers me because it would be easy to fix, but we persist in sticking with a build sensitive construct.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

Just about anything is fairly easy to fix. My question is why do you perceive this particular "build sensitive construct," as opposed to all the others, to be broken?

[Sean Waters]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

Just about anything is fairly easy to fix. My question is why do you perceive this particular "build sensitive construct' date='" as opposed to all the others, to be broken?[/quote']

 

You know me well enough, Phil, to know that I think EVERYTHING is broken It is just that I'm limiting myself to this one topic as it is thread appropriate.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

Fair enough. We seem to agree on things about half the time.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

You're certainly entitled to make that decision for your games' date=' but I don't see why regular SLs (which cost more) are only allowed in cases where they have *fewer* applications.[/quote']

 

Actually, you have the polarity reversed. It's the PSLs that I wouldn't allow in cases where the skill has fewer aplications.

 

But they are limited in that they can never raise the skill roll above the base roll. One of the main uses (the one I was discussing) of PSLs is so you can have some chance of failure for small AP powers' date=' but still have a decent chance of success for large AP powers.[/quote']

 

That is true, and I may have forgotten about that inherent Limitation.

 

Question for anyone: Do the rules allow a character to "activate" a RSR power but not actively *use* it till later (like in a later Phase)?

 

But you don't know in advance how big of a penalty "Penalty X" will be. If the target of an attack is 6" away' date=' the Range Penalty is -2. If you have 4 PSLs vs Range, only two of them can apply. I've never seen an attack with the limitation "Only works on targets at least 9" away."[/quote']

 

It is still possible to make an educated guess, and some penalties are known (like the penalty to target the head). If a character has a mysterious-power-that-I-won't-go-into-the-build-of-here that prevents people from approaching closer than 16", I'd say that taking 4 Range PSLs would be munchkining.

 

Consider this. A character buys:

XX Various Powers of 60 or less AP with RSR

11 Skill X for RSR Powers (9+STAT/5)+4=18-

9 +6 to Skill X to offset AP Penalties from RSR Powers (IIRC, this is the price that TUS would use in this case)

 

Now, if the character activates a small 10 AP power, it's 18-. If he activates a large 60 AP power, it's still 18-. It is true that in the first case (a 10 AP power activation), 5 of the 6 PSLs are not helping. But with a base 18- roll and the price break on the PSLs (for being PSLs), I'm not sure that's much of a problem.

 

I'm just waiting for someone to build a character with lots of RSR powers built as compound powers -- the second half of the power would be sufficient PSLs to offset the AP penalty from the first half. And put them in a framework (MP or VPP, for instance). AFAIKR, this isn't illegal (according to the book)

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

Question for anyone: Do the rules allow a character to "activate" a RSR power but not actively *use* it till later (like in a later Phase)?

If I'm understanding you correctly, no. You'd need the "Delayed Effect" advantage for that.

 

Consider this. A character buys:

XX Various Powers of 60 or less AP with RSR

11 Skill X for RSR Powers (9+STAT/5)+4=18-

9 +6 to Skill X to offset AP Penalties from RSR Powers (IIRC, this is the price that TUS would use in this case)

 

Now, if the character activates a small 10 AP power, it's 18-. If he activates a large 60 AP power, it's still 18-. It is true that in the first case (a 10 AP power activation), 5 of the 6 PSLs are not helping. But with a base 18- roll and the price break on the PSLs (for being PSLs), I'm not sure that's much of a problem.

Well I think the problem here comes from the base roll of 18-, not from the PSLs. You don't have to allow characters to buy up their base roll to that high of a level in the first place. That's really one of the main uses of PSLs, as I said before.

 

I'm just waiting for someone to build a character with lots of RSR powers built as compound powers -- the second half of the power would be sufficient PSLs to offset the AP penalty from the first half. And put them in a framework (MP or VPP, for instance). AFAIKR, this isn't illegal (according to the book)

Yes, that's illegal - no Skills (which includes skill levels of all types) in a framework. And even if it wasn't illegal, it would still be blatant munchkinry that I (for one) would never allow as a GM.

[Outsider]

Re: Requires skill roll

 

I've toyed with the idea of a skill VPP.

 

Of course, its kind of expensive, since I base it on Cramming.

 

Figure that Cramming costs 5 points to get 1 point of flexible skill, with some limitations.

 

1) To set the skill, the character 'needs to study for several hours'.

(Extra Time, 6 Hours, Only to Start : (-1 3/4))

(Concentrate, 1/2 DCV : (-1/4))

 

2) The character needs a source to study, be it teacher, or a library.

(Not exactly a Focus, since he doesnt need the resource with him after he sets the Cram, so I went with OAF, halved in a similar way to 'only to start' on the extra time : (-1/2))

 

3) The crammed skill is limited to an 8- roll (or 1 point of effect), regardless of skill enhancers, and multiple crammings of the same skill dont stack.

(Nothing really to base this one on but a guess. Limited Power : (-1))

 

 

So actually, 5 points is what 1 point of flexible skill costs after applying (-3 1/2) in limitations!

 

Doing the math backwards to get a pre-limitation value for 1 point of flexible skill =

 

4.51*4.5 = 21 points low

5.5*4.5 = 24 points high

 

A freely changeable (non-limited) skill point = 21 to 24 character points.

 

So a 'Skill VPP' that allowed any full (3 point) skill would cost between 63 and 72 character points.

 

 

 

 

PS : And I'd still not actually allow it completely unlimited. Going with the low value of 63 points as the base cost for a 3 point variable skill, then adding lims to it on that basis can be handy though.

 

For example : how much should the cyber-punk classic ability to 'Chip in' a skill or knowledge base cost? I dont know if there is an official write up for this in any of the books I dont own, but here's how I'd do it :

 

23 (63) Variable Skill - Full (3 point) skill

___(-3/4) Extra Time 1 Turn (physically switching the chip & synchronizing) Only to Start

___(-3/4) Concentration 0 DCV, Unaware, to activate

___(-1/4) Inobvious Inaccessible Focus (the chip)