Ubo

[Sean Waters]

I think UBO could be more flexible and easier to operate. Here's how I'd do it. Any thoughts?

 

UBO works in a special way. It does not affect the way in which the power works, but DOES allow that ability to be used by one or more other people.

UBO is no range and costs END on a special basis: the transfer of power costs END (you pay as if using the power) but maintaining it does not. In order to maintain a power granted to another you must remain in range of the power (if the power has range – if the power does not have range you either need an advantage or to remain in contact with the grantee), LOS (you care considered to have LoS to someone you are in contact with even if you can not use a targeting sense), conscious and alive. In addition a granted power can only be maintained for a maximum of 1 turn. You do not have to transfer an ability ‘full power’: if you have an 8d6 EB that is UBO you could just transfer 4d6, but that remaining 4d6 is not available for any other purpose.

The grantor of a power can always take it back, irrespective of range or LoS but has to do so consciously. Whilst the grantee has use of the power he or she can use it as if it were their own, so, for instance, you can push the power, it can be adjusted and so on.

A granted power is available for use immediately after it is granted, but will have to be activated by the grantee.

A granted ability does NOT include the UBO element, which means that UBO is not included for calculating the END cost of a granted power in use AND a granted power can not be passed on to another person. A power may be bought with UBO twice which would allow the second UBO element to be passed on, thus granting an ability which the recipient can then grant to another.

UBO advantages

First a power could be defined as useable by others but NOT self which is worth +0

A power that can be used by self or another but not simultaneously is worth +1/4

A power that can be used by self and another simultaneously is worth +1/2

To grant a power at range costs +1/4

To grant a power through a mind link or mind scan costs +1/2

Each doubling of the number of people you can grant a power to (or the mass of an inanimate object you can grant a power to is +1/4.

Maintenance advantages:

To remove the LoS requirement is +1/4

To remove the range requirement is +1/4

To maintain whilst unconscious is +1/4

To maintain after death is +1/4 (but requires a straightforward way to cancel the power externally)

Each step up the time chart you can maintain a power grant for is +1/4.

Additional utility advantages

For +1/4 a granted power is considered to activate automatically on grant.

For +1/2 a UBO power can be controlled by the grantor rather than the grantee. This makes an UBO power, in effect, work as an attack, allowing a character to give an ability to another character AND control how it is used.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Ubo

 

Seems very similar, but a little more straight forward, than the current rules. I like it at first glance, but would have to look at it closely since I haven't used UBO a whole lot, and would need to consider the ramifications of the minor changes. I think you should post this in the appropriate 6th Ed discussion.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Ubo

 

To quote archermoo, this looks like a solution in search of a problem.

 

Many of the extra advantages appear to duplicate other existing advantages with their own specific rules (like uncontrolled and persistent).

 

An existing mechanic called Differing Modifiers handles many of the other issues your method attempts to solve.

 

I agree that this is a good idea for a 6e thread but I don't see how it streamlines anything within the current rules set. If anything it makes it more complicated imo.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Ubo

 

Seems very similar' date=' but a little more straight forward, than the current rules. I like it at first glance, but would have to look at it closely since I haven't used UBO a whole lot, and would need to consider the ramifications of the minor changes. I think you should post this in the appropriate 6th Ed discussion.[/quote']

 

I did post it in the advantages section of 6th edition where it was ignored and buried by other topics, so I posted it over here instead where I thought it might have a better chance of a response.

 

It is not a radical re-working (I did have one in mind, but you know me: go with what we know ) but it is, I believe more structured and flexible than the current set up.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Ubo

 

To quote archermoo, this looks like a solution in search of a problem.

 

Many of the extra advantages appear to duplicate other existing advantages with their own specific rules (like uncontrolled and persistent).

 

An existing mechanic called Differing Modifiers handles many of the other issues your method attempts to solve.

 

I agree that this is a good idea for a 6e thread but I don't see how it streamlines anything within the current rules set. If anything it makes it more complicated imo.

 

Well if you look at how many words it takes to describe it here and how many it takes in 5er, it is certainly more streamlined. It is more complicated to the extent that it presents more options, but they are not spurious, and I'd consider that a good thing.

 

You are absolutely right that some of the advantages duplicate others, like persistent because the existing UBO description uses 'persistent' in a custom modification that only applies to UBO. To my way of thinking, 'Persistent' should do the same thing wherever it is used, not have special rules in certain synergies, and I think it is muuch clearer to have a seperate advantage than one that is called the same as another but does not work that way. in addition this breaks down 'persistent' into affecting LoS and working whilst unconscious, so it actually allows rather more flexibility for realising concept.

 

It is not a solution in search of a problem, it is a structured critique of an existing advantage that a lot of people find cumbersome. It is presented as a modified form of the original to point out, and simultaneously suggest a solution to, the problems that I perceive with it. That is, it is a discussion of a 5th edition mechanic.

 

I've not heard of 'Differing Modifiers'; where can I find that?

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Ubo

 

Differing Modifiers: FRED Page 276, in the Usable On Others section of the Power Modifiers section of Chapter One.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Ubo

 

Differing Modifiers: FRED Page 276' date=' in the Usable On Others section of the Power Modifiers section of Chapter One.[/quote']

 

Got it - cheers I was searching under 'D'

 

I'm still claiming it is shorter than 4 1/2 sides and does everything the original does and more.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Ubo

 

So did I, it's one of those things that is hard to find using the glossary, or whatever that big list of stuff and the pages they're on at the back of the book is called...