Is This Power Viable

[crayadder]

Hi there,

 

My PC has proposed the following power build for his character to allow him to learn faster.

 

Rapid Learning ( x100) with Mental Group, Usable Simultaneously (up to 2 people at once; +1/2) (15 Active Points);

• Extra Time (1 Hour, Only to Activate, -1 1/2),
  
• Side Effects (Side Effect affects both character and recipient of Power's benefits; 1 1/2d6 INT and EGO drain (Return rate 5/ hour); -3/4),
  
• Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2),
  
• Costs Endurance (-1/2), Activation Roll 14-; -1/4)
  

 

This ability allows an individual to learn at a far gaster rate then normal. It takes an hour before the rapid kicks in which I think will keep more balance with this ability. And the side effect will affect both characters that this ability benifits.

 

My question is this: Wouldn't concentrating throughout the use of the power make it hard or impossible to concentrate on what the character is trying to learn? Or does that disad not play into the character's ability to focus on what he's trying to learn?

 

What do you think?

[Beast]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

for me the Concentration means the player is not going to be doing this in combat or is going to be a easy target if they do

 

Concentration just means their DCV is down and may be unaware of what else is going on around them

 

now they might want to have Eidetic Memory to remember the info or Cramming to make use of it as a skill

 

you should make sure that they are not going to use this as a cheap way to get new skills

[crayadder]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

Hi Beast,

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Actually, my PC is using this so that he can allot into skills more often as my campaign is very Roll-Play heavy with little time passage so raising skills takes a long time. I'm not averse to the concept as it can get frustrating going weeks with little character advancement.

 

I'm not sure what you mean about

...or Cramming to make use of it as a skill

 

Can you clarify?

 

thanks again

[Beast]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

Cramming is kinda like a VPP for just skills

you do some study on the subject and you get an 8- roll with that skill

 

think of a plug in module that allows you to do something that you normally you can't

you can change the module to be able to do something else that you normally you can't

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

If all you are after is a way to justify gaining skills faster than normal I'd just go with Cramming, Speed Reading and Eidetic Memory. Skill Enhancers also mesh quite nicely with this concept if your going for Knowledge based skills.

 

In the short term it provides a method for a PC to aquire a needed skill for an adventure. If the PC wants to permanently keep the skill, Spending earned XP plus the Eidetic Memory is the justification.

[crayadder]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

What about combat training? Can you use cramming for that?

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

What about combat training? Can you use cramming for that?

 

From 5er, page 56:

 

CRAMMING

Intellect: No roll required

Cost: 5 Character Points

Cramming, which is an Intellect Skill although it involves no roll, allows a character to acquire a basic understanding of a non-combat Skill quickly.

 

However, I see no reason you couldn't allow the purchase of a combat-skill-only-cramming ability as well.

[SvZurich]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

Also consider talents like Universal Translator, True Jack of All Trades, Universal Scientist, Universal Pilot, and Universal Scholar from the APG pgs 48-50 to represent picking things up quickly without becoming an expert at them. They are each 20 points or so and represent having an 11- roll on most skill checks due to instinct and picking facts up. You could have a special effect to simulate cramming or to add to the die roll.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

my main issue with the 8- roll is I understand levels can not be applied

nor modifiers like significant detail to methods being created/described

 

does that apply to the 11- universal jury-rig talent as well?

 

 

as far as cramming goes ...

characters exist that have spent significant points on skill

at the cost of combat effectiveness.

These characters are cheesed off if another steps in that has whatever skill is needed without having paid the cost.

[crayadder]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

Thanks Hyper et-al. I like the combat only cramming idea.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

8- = 25% chance

 

can one cram the same skill four times?

having 4 8- rolls

for (1-0.75^4)*100=68% chance approximately 12-

[SvZurich]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

Cramming has a new optional table in APG on pg 36 allowing you to buy it at a higher level to take longer to boost the skill roll. I didn't see this earlier. Just got the book and still skipping through it.

[Sidume]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

Viable? That's up to the GM. I wouldn't let it fly because it really does sound like a munchkinized version of acquiring skills really, really cheap. If your game is skill heavy then this character could easily become unbalanced from the other characters.

 

I'd have several problems with the build. See the bold below.

 

Rapid Learning ( x100) with Mental Group, Usable Simultaneously (up to 2 people at once; +1/2) (15 Active Points); Two people? Why?

-Extra Time (1 Hour, Only to Activate, -1 1/2), This assumes that you can learn something instantly. Even if someone can speedread, few will be able to get the skills of an MD, JD, or PhD by reading books. It's cheesy to take a talent that reduces time, then limit it to make it take more time.

-Side Effects (Side Effect affects both character and recipient of Power's benefits; 1 1/2d6 INT and EGO drain (Return rate 5/ hour); -3/4), I'd need an explanation on this one.

-Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), When is the last time you really learned something without concentration? I'd say this was assumed, & worth no negatives. You learn about osmosis in cellular biology. Osmosis can't teach you cellular biology.

-Costs Endurance (-1/2), Costs endurance for what? Reading a book for an hour? On a 15 point power? Get real.

-Activation Roll 14- (-1/4)

 

Here's another method. It's not nearly as cheap, but may be subject to less abuse.

 

Buy 5 Overall levels (50 pts)

- Only on specifically studied subjects that PC has gone through study regimen on (-1). You could adjust this based on what the GM requires for "the regimen." Make the player provide you with the skills already done. Assume nothing.

- Requires Skill Roll (Int or Ego) (-1/2)

 

This version costs 20 points. The other way costs 3.33 points. Either or both could really unbalance your game. Be careful.

[Ice9]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

I don't think the intent was to get skills for free, just to have justification for buying skills with character points, as normal. Given that in some campaigns you wouldn't even need a power for that, I don't think this is at all a balance issue.

[crayadder]

Re: Is This Power Viable

 

Thanks for all the input. Just in case you're interested and or have more input on this, here is the build I ended up doing based on a story element I created around the ability.

 

The character was trained by an assassin's guild. The guild has masters who train the assassins. Understandibly, an assassin can't have all the skills he or she will need for all the jobs they will do in during their careers. When a job comes up that requires special skills the Assassin most qualified will see a Master Instructor who will perform The Grasping.

 

The Grasping is a form of hypnosis that puts the recipient into a state where they can learn a new skill 100 times faster than it would normally take. It is not without its drawbacks however. It takes an hour for the Master to put the assassin into the Grasping and it only lasts for as long as the Assassin has endurance. This reduces the number of Assassin's who can use the grasping to the very skilled as most don't have the fortitude necessary to stay in the Grasping long enough to learn the new skill.

 

When the grasping is over the Assassin generally suffers great fatigue and the inability to focus for some time, though the after effects are not always consistant and really depends on the length of time the Assassin stays in the Grasping and the individual characteristics of the Assassin's personality and natural ability to focus.

 

It has been whispered that some Grandmasters have learned how to put themselves into The Grasping, but no one has heard of anyone currently alive who has shown the ability.

 

The Grasping: Rapid Learning ( x100) with Mental Group,

• Usable By Other (+1/4) (12 Active Points); (put someone into The Grasping)
  
• Extra Time (1 Hour, Only to Activate, -1 1/2), (Takes and hour to enter trance)
  
• Variable Limitations (requires -3 worth of Limitations; usually drain int and ego 1 1/2d6 returns at 5 per hour; -1 1/2), (is actually variable side-effects and always happen with use of the ability. They differ based on recipient, but generally are a temporary loss of EGO and INT)
  
• Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), (Only the most resilient Assassins can use this ability and reduces the risk of learning too powerful a skill)
  
• Activation Roll 13- (-3/4), (There is always a chance of this failing outside of the Master's skill at Hypnotism)
  
• Costs Endurance (-1/2), (Self explanatory)
  
• Conditional Power Require an aplication of Hypnosis for others or meditative trance for self (-1/2), (Need to have a skill in Hypnotism to use)
  
• IAF Focus: Source of knowldge (-1/2) (The training materials necessary to learn the skill mst be handy or the trance is wasted)
  

 

So, how does this look?