Muse's Inspiration

[Lucius]

How would one build an "Inspiration" power for a muse or other character who has the ability to inspire creativity and accomplishment in someone?

 

Some variations and considerations:

 

Muse can turn anybody into an artist, vs the power only works on someone who already has "the Gift."

 

I had some other ideas I wanted to toss out but....

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I think the palindromedary ate them.

[ideasmith]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

How would one build an "Inspiration" power for a muse or other character who has the ability to inspire creativity and accomplishment in someone?

 

Some variations and considerations:

 

Muse can turn anybody into an artist, vs the power only works on someone who already has "the Gift."

 

I had some other ideas I wanted to toss out but....

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I think the palindromedary ate them.

 

PS: Creative Artist 11- (2 points) Usable As Attack (+1), Invisible Power Effects (+1), Affects Real World (+2), Indirect (+3/4), Ranged (+1/2), No Range Modifier (+1/2), Line of Sight Range (+1/2), Transdimensional (+1), NND (+1). Active Cost: 18 points.

 

Edit: Corrected cost.

[jtelson]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

Transform vs. Spirit - "Creating the Artist's Soul"

Mind Control - "Compulsion to Create"

Mental Illusions only for Dreams, day and other - "There are images in your head trying to get out"

 

And Ideasmith has it pretty much right for the raw skill.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

Slightly different approach:

 

Muse: 24 active points, 4 real

Aid 1d6, Can Add Maximum Of 10 Points, DEX and INT simultaneously (+1/2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +1/2) (24 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness (Only to inspire artistic greatness in others; -1 1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect affects both character and recipient of Power's benefits; 1 point major mental transform NND: strong emotion between Muse and Artist; -1)

 

Aid costs no END and so is invisible, but it increases the characteristics that are most likely to be associated with artistic skill by up to 10 points (or at least +2 skill levels) which should be enough to make a mediocre artist pretty damn good, and a great artist practically superhuman. It only works when the artist is very close to the Muse and fades rapidly once they are out of the artist's presence.

 

You might not like the Side Effect (get rid of it and it only adds one point to the cost) but the idea is that there will be some strong emotion inspired between the Muse and Artist (it affects both, but not necessarily with the same emotion) - one might fall in love, the other might feel loathing. That's just a flourish, but not an unrealistic one...

[Lucius]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

PS: Creative Artist 11- (2 points) Usable As Attack (+1), Invisible Power Effects (+1), Affects Real World (+2), Indirect (+3/4), Ranged (+1/2), No Range Modifier (+1/2), Line of Sight Range (+1/2), Transdimensional (+1), NND (+1). Active Cost: 18 points.

 

Edit: Corrected cost.

 

Just one question: Why the No Normal Defense?

 

To everyone else, great ideas, thanks!!

 

Any more good notions out there?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Amusing a palindromedary

[ideasmith]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

Just one question: Why the No Normal Defense?

 

To everyone else, great ideas, thanks!!

 

Any more good notions out there?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Amusing a palindromedary

 

Because I was posting while tired. The NND should be dropped, dropping the cost to 16 points.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

PS: Creative Artist 11- (2 points) Usable As Attack (+1)' date=' Invisible Power Effects (+1), Affects Real World (+2), Indirect (+3/4), Ranged (+1/2), No Range Modifier (+1/2), Line of Sight Range (+1/2), Transdimensional (+1), NND (+1). Active Cost: 18 points [/quote']

 

Do you really need all three, Ranged, No Range Modifier, and Line of Sight? At the very least you should be able to drop No Range Modifier because Line of Sight powers are not affected by Range Modifiers. And the base cost for Ranged is only +1/4 not +1/2. What’s the “Affects Real World” for and why is it +2? Oh, and Transdimensional powers need to be Indirect, or does Line of Sight cover that? Also I think you need a related power to perceive the target from the other dimension (I’m assuming you mean the Muse is in a different dimension affecting someone in ours).

[Lucius]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

Because I was posting while tired. The NND should be dropped' date=' dropping the cost to 16 points.[/quote']

 

For someone who was tired, not a bad job - you even included the Transdimenasional and "Affects Real World" advantages on the assumption the muse could or would be an extradimensional and/or incorporeal being.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Bemusing a palindromedary

[Lucius]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

Slightly different approach:

 

Muse: 24 active points, 4 real

Aid 1d6, Can Add Maximum Of 10 Points, DEX and INT simultaneously (+1/2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +1/2) (24 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness (Only to inspire artistic greatness in others; -1 1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect affects both character and recipient of Power's benefits; 1 point major mental transform NND: strong emotion between Muse and Artist; -1)

 

Aid costs no END and so is invisible, but it increases the characteristics that are most likely to be associated with artistic skill by up to 10 points (or at least +2 skill levels) which should be enough to make a mediocre artist pretty damn good, and a great artist practically superhuman. It only works when the artist is very close to the Muse and fades rapidly once they are out of the artist's presence.

 

You might not like the Side Effect (get rid of it and it only adds one point to the cost) but the idea is that there will be some strong emotion inspired between the Muse and Artist (it affects both, but not necessarily with the same emotion) - one might fall in love, the other might feel loathing. That's just a flourish, but not an unrealistic one...

 

An approach I hadn't thought of, and comparing this to Ideasmith brings up another aspect -

 

Muse is a divine transcendent Being of some sort vs Muse is essentially an "ordinary" mortal with a gift for inspiring artists

 

Transform vs. Spirit - "Creating the Artist's Soul"

Mind Control - "Compulsion to Create"

Mental Illusions only for Dreams, day and other - "There are images in your head trying to get out"

 

And Ideasmith has it pretty much right for the raw skill.

 

Definitely food for thought.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Musing on a palindromedary

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

Remember that Transform can add abilities/powers, too....

[ideasmith]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

 

Do you really need all three, Ranged, No Range Modifier, and Line of Sight? At the very least you should be able to drop No Range Modifier because Line of Sight powers are not affected by Range Modifiers.

 

Per 5ER page 266, Line of Sight does indeed drop the range modifier. That means I don't need No Range Modifier, dropping the cost to 15.

 

And the base cost for Ranged is only +1/4 not +1/2.

 

Per 5ER page 273 (& 267) the base cost for Ranged is +1/2.

 

What’s the “Affects Real World” for and why is it +2?

 

5ER page 148. I treat characters in different dimensions as inherently Desolid to one another. This is admittedly an arguable interpretation of the rules. Oops I misremembered the name: Its 'Affects Physical World'.

 

Oh' date=' and Transdimensional powers need to be Indirect, or does Line of Sight cover that? [/quote']

 

No, I covered it using Indirect (5ER page 260).

 

Also I think you need a related power to perceive the target from the other dimension (I’m assuming you mean the Muse is in a different dimension affecting someone in ours).

 

A character with Muse's Inspiration would certainly need such. I don't consider it part of the Muse's Inspiration per se.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

PS: Artist (or whatever) 9+(INT/5)-, UBO, 0 END, Persistant - 7 points

plus

Aid PS: Artist (or whatever) Skill, 2d6 (should be more than enough), Slowed Fade rate (+1 for /hour, +1.5 for /day, +2 for /month) 20/25/30 points.

For an extra 2 points, you can make it "Aid Any One Artistic Skill", or say 30 points for fades 5/week.

 

As a GM, I would let it work without the UBO skill, and just use the Aif by itself. I see no reason not to allow Aid to grant abilities from 0 as a general rule, and particularly in this case.

 

And yes, you can add Transdimentional and Ranged and whatever else you need, depending on the specifica of how muses work in your world.

[Beast]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

here are 3 powers that I am using in Shadowsoul's New Dawn game onHC

 

Battle song: Aid all combat(up to 2 levels) 1d6+1, Can Add Maximum Of 16 Points, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +1/2), Explosion (-1 DC/2"; +3/4), Selective Target (+1/4) (44 Active Points)

 

song to inspire: Aid all non-combat skills(8pt level max of 3) 1d6, Can Add Maximum Of 24 Points, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +1/2), Explosion (-1 DC/2"; +3/4) (43 Active Points)

 

muse song: Aid anything 1d6+1, Can Add Maximum Of 13 Points, any [special effect] power one at a time (+1/4), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 5 Minutes; +1/2), Explosion (-1 DC/2"; +3/4), Selective Target (+1/4) (44 Active Points)

[Sean Waters]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

One other, very straightforward, approach:

 

Muse Inspired greatness 10 active, 5 real

 

PS: Artist (10 Active Points); OAF (Focus: Muse; -1) 17-

 

OK, using a living person as a focus might seem odd, but I can not see any real reason not to allow it. Muses are not common enough to simply use OIF: Muse of Opportunity

 

This makes the 'muse' part of the person with talent - but the talent only works when the focus is close enough to 'use'.

 

Is 'Muse' an internal or external force? Can a person who is an artist's muse also inspire other artists, or is an artist inspired by a muse able to transfer that 'spark' to another muse, and be inspired by them?

 

What, in other words, do you

[Beast]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

only problem I have with the power being a person is more a plot device

the muse powers I came up with can be applied and the muse can go way(might increase the time the skill stays with the character)

also yours would be limited to the type of artist when you bought the skill

you would also have to make that skill usable by others

 

all the muses I have read or heard about only enhanced the skill the artist already had

the muse did not give them the skill,they only enhanced it to legendary levels

 

in effect a person with say journeyman level skill meets their muse and while under the influence of the muse is able to turn out work worthy of a grand master in the same skill

 

 

 

 

One other, very straightforward, approach:

 

Muse Inspired greatness 10 active, 5 real

 

PS: Artist (10 Active Points); OAF (Focus: Muse; -1) 17-

 

OK, using a living person as a focus might seem odd, but I can not see any real reason not to allow it. Muses are not common enough to simply use OIF: Muse of Opportunity

 

This makes the 'muse' part of the person with talent - but the talent only works when the focus is close enough to 'use'.

 

Is 'Muse' an internal or external force? Can a person who is an artist's muse also inspire other artists, or is an artist inspired by a muse able to transfer that 'spark' to another muse, and be inspired by them?

 

What, in other words, do you

[Sean Waters]

Re: Muse's Inspiration

 

only problem I have with the power being a person is more a plot device

the muse powers I came up with can be applied and the muse can go way(might increase the time the skill stays with the character)

also yours would be limited to the type of artist when you bought the skill

you would also have to make that skill usable by others

 

all the muses I have read or heard about only enhanced the skill the artist already had

the muse did not give them the skill,they only enhanced it to legendary levels

 

in effect a person with say journeyman level skill meets their muse and while under the influence of the muse is able to turn out work worthy of a grand master in the same skill

 

I think you may not have understood what I was aiming at here: the 'ability' I suggested i.e. 'Artistic ability through a focus' would be bought and paid for by the artist, not the muse. The muse is the focus, they have no power to 'give' artistic ability themselves - the artist needs them there to realise his or her potential.

 

That is why the type of artistic ability is fixed - it IS a skill the artist already has. In this form he is no kind of artist without a muse, but you could easily buy the base skill unlimited and the extra levels with 'only in presence of muse' limitations.

 

This models a person who always has the potential, but only realises it in certain circumstances. The muse could be a person, an animal, an object, even a place. If you do not like the idea of it being a focus, replace that limitation with a Limited Power Limitation: Only in <defined> circumstances.

 

There's not right way to do it, as such, and the build will obviously have to be informed by decisions as to whether the ability is 'granted' by the muse, or something the artist always has, but is only triggered in some situations (eg presence of muse). Depends what the player/GM is after.