TheDux Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 My character is a 7.5 foot duck massively muscular with white orb eyes, webbed feet that can't fit into shoes and have a distinctive strange accent and speaks broken english and is not accustom to human society. I am thinking of DF as: A 7 foot duck walks into a bar, if people who were in the bar were questioned the nexted day, would they remember? Different distinctive features. Massive size - Concealment does not alter size Duck features - Can be concealed with holographic tool White orb eyes - Is concealed with holographic tool Does not wear shoes - Is concealed with holographic tool Accent - Can be concealed with voice synthesizer Broken English - Cannot be concealed except by not talking Awkward - Cannot be concealed All "duck" features (Duck Features, Does not wear shoes, White Orb eyes) can be conceal with holographic tool so I think this can be grouped as one. Human society could see this all as one feature anyway I would think. The voice is concealed by seperate tool so this would be seperate feature I would think, but broken English cannot be concealed. I would make this one feature with a note that it does not conceal the use of English. The concealment tools run on a battery and therefore could run out of energy and expose features. Awkward behavior cannot be concealed so this, again would be a seperate feature. The massive size is not conceal, and is not connected to other traits. Broken English/Awkward I could take as a Social Limitation that has similar effect as Distinctive Feature. GMs, what is your opinion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features I wouldn't allow multiple distinctive features. It's specifically disallowed in the rules, iirc. You'd get one BIG distinctive features disad, but that's all. Besides.... "Does not wear shoes" would be a psychological. He COULD wear shoes (even if he had to have them specially made). He chooses not to. It wouldn't be a big disad, since presumably there aren't often serious consequences. "Broken English" and "Accent" would fall under Physical Limitations. English is not his native language and it shows--he can't speak without an accent. Ditto for "awkward"--it isn't inherent in being a duck. It's a Physical Limitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDux Posted February 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features I wouldn't allow multiple distinctive features. It's specifically disallowed in the rules, iirc. You'd get one BIG distinctive features disad, but that's all. Besides.... "Does not wear shoes" would be a psychological. He COULD wear shoes (even if he had to have them specially made). He chooses not to. It wouldn't be a big disad, since presumably there aren't often serious consequences. "Broken English" and "Accent" would fall under Physical Limitations. English is not his native language and it shows--he can't speak without an accent. Ditto for "awkward"--it isn't inherent in being a duck. It's a Physical Limitation. Thank you very much! Now when you say "You'd get one BIG distinctive features disad, but that's all." How much would you say the total would be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features You can definitely have different Distinctive Features - there's nothing in the rules disallowing it. As a GM I'd like to see each of them to be pertaining to widely different aspects: DF: 7-Foot Duck DF: Noticeable/Distinct Accent Both of those are different enough, and could come up in different situations they could warrant their own DF. The first is always going to be an on-sight issue. The second could affect them over communications that are just auditory (phone, radio, recording, etc). Giant shoeless duck feet, white eyes, all of these are part of the on-sight DF, it'd be worth noting with this DF all of the visible aspects. Pyschological (if they can learn) or Physical (if they can't learn) Limitation covers the unfamiliar with culture aspect. It's a separate category. Another reason to have different DF Disads is that some parts might be easily concealed (tattoos) and some parts might not be (registers as a mutant on detectors). Both of those are different enough to warrant their own Distinctive Feature disad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyrm Ouroboros Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features I'd go with what G-A said; one for 'sight', one for 'sound'. Theoretically, someone could have 5-6 different DFs, one for each 'sense group', but for the most part they're going to wrap into only one or two groups. Anything more than that is just asking for the GM Whack Stick. Or Thia's Ice Cream Cone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gridlock Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features You can have multiple DFs. Sometimes you need them. Example: one DF covers being a Mutant, and the other covers the horns on your head. Just be aware of multiple DFs that cover the same ground. If they're all based on the same perception method, then they should probably all be combined. In the above example, you need a mutant scanner for the first (Unusual sense), and the second is commonl-used senses/virtually everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcan Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features One distinctive feature is fine. In fact, I've always thought that most superheroic characters should have one pertaining to their power source (Registers on Mutant Scanners, Detectable by Sense Magic, etc...). A second one, applicable under entirely different circumstances (like Grond's being a big, green, scaly, 4-armed monster, or the aformentioned duck) can be fine as well, but should definitely earn a second look from the GM. More than that should be treated as a Stop Sign - nothing says you can't allow it, but it should be carefully scrutinized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features Nothing is wrong with multiple Distinctive Features; as long as they really are multiple Distinctive Features and not a cheap attempt get away with less Disads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDux Posted February 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features Thanks alot, I wanted to make sure I was using the system and NOT abusing it. I think I have narrowed it down to two big ones like Ghost Angel said (with another limitation (not DF) later on for when he becomes a target of hate and distrust and/or fear when he becomes a public figure and stops using forms of cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Re: GM: Opinion on multiple Distinctive Features Thanks alot, I wanted to make sure I was using the system and NOT abusing it. I think I have narrowed it down to two big ones like Ghost Angel said (with another limitation (not DF) later on for when he becomes a target of hate and distrust and/or fear when he becomes a public figure and stops using forms of cover. That last one is a good candidate for a Social Limitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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