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Old 07-01-2007, 04:22 AM   #8
vicky_molokh
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Default (u)FAQ: CharGen, part 2

Is there a Grand Unified List of Frequency of Occurances of various entities?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
Remember that things like "Common," "Occasional," and "Rare" are shorthand for "Common as an attack," "An occasionally encountered creature," and "Rare as an environmental condition." They are pegged to the context of specific advantages and disadvantages. Use, say, the rarities set for Detect or Neutralize with DR at your peril.
How do I build DR vs. Everything Except Y?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
My general feeling is that DR with a "hole" against something ought to get -15% for a Very Common flaw, -10% for a Common one, -5% for an Occasional one, and just be a quirk for a Rare one.
There's Extra Attack, but what about Extra Parry and Extra Block?
A.k.a. Why I can make a multiattacking catgirl, but not a multiblocking turtleboy?

Short answer: you can't, because then the ability to parry/block repeatedly [sic] wouldn't be useful, and it would do funny things to the multi-parry/multi-block modifiers' depndence on Fencing weapons and TbaM/WM. But there's an interesting alternative:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
There is no "Extra Defense" advantage that you could then modify with, say, Independent or some other modifier that would make it hands-free. However, you get one additional block or parry per hand, regardless of number of hands or number of attacks, so that's where the solution can be found. Try this:
Extra Arm 1 (Force Extension, +50%; Shield Mount, -80%) [7]
Force Extension is stolen from Stretching; see Powers, p. 78. In this case, it gives you a visible limb of force that can't be injured.

Shield Mount is by analogy to Weapon Mount. If being restricted to mounting and using one weapon is -80%, the same should go for any other dedicated-purpose limb.

You can make it invisible with No Signature, if that's important to you. I don't see how it's worthwhile, but whatever. Since you can always specify special effects for your abilities, why not just say it has the appearance of a glowing shield?

As for the shield itself, I'd allow the arm itself to count as a shield to block -- it's an indestructible force! Use the standard Parry for an arm as your Block score, which is DX/2 + 3. If it needs to be higher, buy Enhanced Block (Mystic Shield) [5/level]. Enhanced Block requires a specialty, and I think this is fairly specialized!

To give, say, a wizard with DX 12 a first-rate Block of 16, you'll want Mystic Shield [7] and Enhanced Block 7 (Mystic Shield) [35]. I'd say that 42 points is a fair price for one sure-fire, stop-anything defense a turn. (Especially when you compare it to Blocking spells . . .)
What can be taken as an Accessory Perk?
Examples follow:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
Some things I have considered to be or would consider to be Accessory perks:
  • Calculator (for normal use; pay 2 points for Lightning Calculator to get one you can use while fleeing zombies)
  • Cigarette Lighter
  • Clock (ordinary-quality; pay 2 points for Absolute Timing to get a precision chronometer)
  • First-Aid Kit
  • Hooks (for cargo, towing, whatever)
  • Lamp (each type would be its own perk: flashlight, Gro-Light, rotating police lights, strobe light, UV light, etc.)
  • Laser Pointer
  • Magnifying Lens (×1.5 to ×2)
  • Measuring Device (each would be its own perk: dosimeter, laser level, pH meter, ultrasonic ruler, etc.)
  • Megaphone (= Penetrating Voice)
  • Mirror (each type would be its own perk: funhouse, heliograph, rear-view, etc.)
  • Noisemaker (each type would be its own perk: horn, siren, whistle, etc.)
  • Shades (= Nictitating Membrane 1)
  • Shield (if it occupies a hand in use, can be unreadied, etc., then it isn't an expensive force field, just an Accessory)
  • Sound System (essentially a "theme music" Shtick)
  • Tools (each skill aided would be its own perk: Carpentry, Cooking, Lockpicking, etc.)
  • Tow Cable
  • Tray
  • USB Key
  • Vacuum Cleaner
Machines and other characters with No FP Score and what does it mean
Q: Machines are not listed as having No Sleep; nor is there an explanation how sleep deprivation affects Fatigueless characters. How does it?
A: It has all the usual effects of not sleeping, aside from FP loss. Note that most of the effects of not sleeping aren't FP loss . . . If this makes no sense for a machine, then give it Doesn't Sleep. Most machines do have it; it just isn't universal.

Q: How do Fatigueless characters interact with food or water deprivation? Do they just lose HP, or HT, or do they shutdown immediately? Can they enter suspended animation? What is changed depending on the status of the hunger/endurance feature?
A: Most have Doesn't Eat or Drink. Those that do not and that are undead suffer the effects of Dependency -- generally, Doesn't Eat or Drink is exclusive with that. Those that do not and that are machines simply stop working once they run out of fuel. Suspended animation is only an option if you pay for it as Metabolism Control. Otherwise, you die from injury (in the Dependency case) or shut down (in the fuel case).

Q: Followup question: if machines cannot take Metabolism Control, how is standby mode handled? What about a computer or robot that turns on under specified circumstances (timer, change in power input, strong signal, damage etc.)? Same about other self-diagnostics and direct control of internal systems.
A: That's simply a matter of saying that fuel isn't used until the machine is actually active. It's not any kind of special feature or rule to say that hanging around doing nothing doesn't consume fuel.

Q: How do Fatigueless characters interact with suffocation/choking? Do they just lose HP, or HT, or do they shutdown immediately? How can they be recovered?
A: Generally, things that would deplete FP have no effect at all, while things that would cost HP have the usual effect. That said, all undead and most machines have Doesn't Breathe.

Q: Some traits and skills have a default FP expenditure. Jumper has specific rules, but some traits don't. Can/must I use an Energy Reserve? Must I buy Reduced FP cost only? Can I have some trait or modifier that allows me to use HP instead?
A: All of the options you list are acceptable. Which ones make sense will depend on the character.

Q: What exactly is Redlining? There are some hints of a form of Extra Effort for Fatigueless characters, is that it? Can some ER be used for mundane Extra Effort?
A: See p. 160 of Powers.

Q: Basic mentions that Machines/Fatigueless can always sprint with no negative consequences. What else can be done without losing HT, and what makes a Fatigueless lose HT? (I remember it being HT, not HP; is that correct?)
A: Extra effort is the only thing that runs down HT. Otherwise, most things that cost FP aren't possible unless you have an ER, or somehow tack on Reduced FP Cost or Costs HP. Note, however, that without Doesn't Eat or Drink, machines need fuel and simply stop when they run out. They don't just "get tired" and slow down, like people do.

Q: Do FP Attacks reduce the points in the ER of a Fatigueless character?
A: No. ER isn't FP. Powers is very clear on the fact that things that affect FP don't affect ER. It doesn't matter who owns the ER or how the Fatigue Attack is defined.

Q: Can Fatiguless 'feed' a Leech that turns HP into FP? And what Machines can and can not Leech HP from?
A: If the character has HP, then those HP can be leeched. It isn't important what the person doing the leeching later turns the HP into; that's attacker-side function, and blind to the origin of the leeched stats. Whether one can leech from machines at all is another matter; p. 96 of Powers spells out the special form of Leech you need to drain machines.


Back to general questions . . .

When buying Weapon Master for a limited set, do I specify the skill set or the weapon set?
Is Weapon Master a skill-specific or weapon-specific trait?

Weapon-specific. A Katana master gets the bonus whether she weilds it one- or two-handed, and even if she throws it. OTOH, she uses all other Broadsword-skill weapons as a mundane character.
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Last edited by vicky_molokh; 05-01-2008 at 02:10 AM.
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