Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Supernatural Skills converted to Abilities

Mercator · 01-12-2007, 05:40 PM

Hi everybody!

The threads on Skills as Powers and Legacy Rules made me think about converting the handful of supernatural skills in the Basic Set to Advantages and Techniques, where I think they belong. Being a relative newbie at Power building, I am sure there are lots of mistakes, even fundamental ones, and I'd like to ask you ladies and gentlemen to take a look at them.

I've tried to remain faithful to the RAW, but in some cases I either didn't know how to model a particular rule, or found that the expected behavior came more naturally from the advantages than from trying to model every modifier onto the skill description (some of these feel quite forced in the skill rules and are unnecessary when writing up the Abilities).

These are "wild" Abilities; I didn't include any Power Modifier because they can suit a lot of sources. Some are quite specific, e.g. the "Trained By a Master" Abilities would likely take Chi or Biological Power Modifier and belong to some Body Control Power or some such, but it's not mandatory. Talents would in all cases cost 5 CP/lvl.

You might notice I didn't follow strict alphabetical order when numbering modifiers; sometimes I put first the Modifier(s) that best defined the Ability and put the more "generic" ones behind, to make the writeup more readable.

So, take a deep breath and let's jump.

Autohypnosis spans three Alternate Abilities. One would buy Improve Concentration at full cost and the other two at 1/5.

Autohypnosis (Improve Concentration) (-35%): Visualization (Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Will roll, -5%; Reduced Time 3, +60%; Specific (Only for sedate tasks), -30%; Temporary Disad: -2 IQ, -2 Per (Only for unrelated tasks, -10%), -45%; ) [7].
Autohypnosis (Increase Will) (-60%): +2 Will (Max Duration, 1 hour, -10%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Will roll, -5%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%) [4].
Autohypnosis (Negate Pain/Fatigue) (-80%) High Pain Threshold (Maximum Duration, 1 hour, -10%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Will roll, -5%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%; Takes Recharge, 1 hour, -30%) [3].
Notes:This one needs work. The Pain side is covered, but I don't know how to negate Fatigue. Maybe a FP pool equal to your HT that you can only tap when you're under 1/3 FP? Very Fit with Requires Attribute roll?

Blind Fighting This is a Hard Technique of the relevant fighting skill, that defaults at skill -10 (the DM for total darkness), and that cannot exceed the base skill.

Body Control (Trance): Metabolism Control 5 (-80%) (Hibernation, -60%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%; Requires Concentrate, -15%)
+ Regeneration (-80%)(Regular; Only for poisons, -40%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires HT roll, -10%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%; ) [10].
Notes: The Advantage writeup is much more elegant than the Skill in a number of ways: it includes the third power (use of the highest of skill and HT) naturally, through a Body Control Talent; and it also gives you a bonus to HT equal to the MC level to stop bleeding, etc. I like this one very much.

Breaking Blow: Crushing Attack 1d (+190%) (Armor divisor 5, +150%; Accessibility: only on braced, homogeneous, inanimate objects, -40%; Melee attack, -30%; Link, +10%; ST-based, +100%) [10]
+ Affliction 1 (-65%) (Fragile (Brittle), +15%; Accessibility: only on braced, homogeneous, inanimate objects, -40%; Accessibility: only for this one blow, -20%; Link, +10%; Melee attack, -30%) [5]
Notes: I don't quite like the Crushing Attack part. I don't know how to put an armor divisor on just the normal damage without adding a full-fledged Innate Attack on top of it. Other than that, the power follows the skill writeup quite closely.

Dreaming: I'm not very sure, since the skill writeup is quite vague. I'd consider it a Talent (5pt/lvl) that applies to a Dreaming power, similar to the Dimension Travel or Astral Projection powers in Powers.

Enthrallment is also a set of Alternate Abilities. They share several modifiers, which I have lumped together thusly: Enthrallment Ability (+80%): (Accesibility: Must speak for the whole activation time, -10%; Based on Will, +20%; Hearing-based, -20%; Malediction1 , +100%; Requires Public Speaking roll, -10%).

Captivate (+90%): Affliction 1 (Gullible, +100%; Costs Fatigue 8, -40%; Enthrallment, +80%; Extended Duration, x100, +80%; Takes Extra Time 11, -110%; Terminal Condition (caster or subject fall unconscious), -20 %; Terminal Condition (caster attacks subject OR subject loses HP/2), -20%) [19].
Persuade (+30%): Talent (Smooth Operator) 2 (Costs Fatigue 2, -10%; Enthrallment, +80%; Switchable, +10%; Takes Extra TIme 6, -30%; Terminal Condition (Do something socially inapproppriate, -20%) [20].
Notes: I opted for Level 2 as a fixed level, rather than a variable level 1-3 based on the margin of success of the roll. I don't know how to implement the latter, althiught I'd very much like to. Any ideas here?
Suggest (-5%): Affliction 1 (Obsession, +100%; Costs Fatigue 6, -30%; Maximum Duration, 10 min, -50%; Enthrallment, +80%; Selective (Only simple suggstions), -20%; Takes Extra Time 9, -90%; Variable, +5%) [10]
Sway Emotions (-80%): Mind Control (Emotion Control -50%; Costs Fatigue 4, -20%; Enthrallment, +80%; Maximum Duration, 1 hour, -10%; Takes Extra Time 8, -80%) [10].

Exorcism (+70%): Affliction 1 (Negated Advantage, Possession +100%; Based on HT,+20%; Malediction 1, +100; Needs Skill Roll (Religious Ritual), -10%; Takes Extra Time 14, -140%) [17]
Notes: Exorcism should Cost Fatigue, and lots of it. Besides, It would be better to make the possessing spirit to roll against Will than HT, for a +5% increase in cost. The above is how the skill is written up, but with my modifiers it makes much more sense. Also, there might be alternatives to implement Exorcism; an Intimidation Talent maybe?

Flying Leap (-15%): Super Jump 2 (Costs Fatigue 1, -5%; Requires IQ roll, -10%) [17].
Notes: Why on Earth should you roll against IQ to jump? HT or Will are much more approppriate here. Also: how to factor in the negative DMs for lack of preparation? Unreliable with a mitigator (not after x seconds)?

Immovable Stance (+30%): Insubstantiality (Can carry Heavy Encumbrance, +100%; Accessibility (only to counter knockback) -30%; Active Defense, -40%) [104].

Invisibility Art (-7%): Invisibility (Glamour, -50%; Can carry Heavy Encumbrance, +100%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Concentrate,-15%; Switchable, +10%; Takes Extra Time 1(mitigator: only to activate, not to maintain, -60%), -4%; Terminal Condition, being seen (mitigator: only for the ""seer",-20%), -18%; Mitigator (entering combat), -20%) [38].
Notes: I don't know how to model a) the single second before activating the power the first second only; b) the need to roll for detection every second. I opted for a hefty Mitigator to Takes Extra Time. Comments? Also, how to model all the modifiers for movement speed? Again, my best bet is Unreliable with mitigators, but I'm not sure.

Kiai (+95%) Rapier Wit (Words of Power +100%, Costs Fatigue 1, -5%) [10].

Light Walk I'm stuck on this one. Walk on Air, with Cosmic (air allowed, +50%) and a very low ceiling?

Mental Strength: Static (Resistible, -50%) [-15%]

Mind Block: I think this, or a functional equivalent, can be done with the Antipsi Power in the Basic Set. However, the description on p. B210 says it's a mundane skill, so maybe just a Talent for Antipsi is in order . . .

Power Blow: +10 Striking ST (-25%) (Accesibility, only for the next melee strike, -20%; Requires WIll roll, -5%) [38].
Notes: I don't like it. The skill writeup says "double your ST for damage purposes only", and I'm not sure that can be done. Instead I've used a flat +10 to ST for lack of anything better. I'd really like to hear from you people on this.

Pressure Points Affliction 1 (+60%) (Choking, +100%; Accessibility (only for torso hits, -40%); Follow-up, melee attack, 0%) [16]
+ Affliction 1 (+50%) (Paralysis (Mitigator: only attacked limb -40%), 90%; Accessibility, only for limb hits, -40%) [15].
Notes: These are Alternate Attacks, with the second one getting the discount. I made up the Accessibilities for limbs and torso, by wild guesstimation. Are there canonical figures somewhere?

Pressure Secrets Talons (-10%) (Accessibility, only after successfully striking in melee combat, -10%; Accessibility, only for that strike -10%; Requires IQ roll, -10%; Switchable, +10%) [7];
+10 Striking ST (-45%) (Requires Will Roll, -5%; Accessibility, only after a successful lock, -30%; Accessibility, only for the next attack, -10%) [33].
Notes: As before, these are Alternate Attacks.

Zen Archery Talent (Bow) +4 (Requires IQ Roll, -10%) [18].
Notes: I'd prefer to use Will instead of IQ.

So . . . what do you say?

Cheers,
M.

01-12-2007, 05:40 PM	#1
Mercator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia	Supernatural Skills converted to Abilities Hi everybody! The threads on Skills as Powers and Legacy Rules made me think about converting the handful of supernatural skills in the Basic Set to Advantages and Techniques, where I think they belong. Being a relative newbie at Power building, I am sure there are lots of mistakes, even fundamental ones, and I'd like to ask you ladies and gentlemen to take a look at them. I've tried to remain faithful to the RAW, but in some cases I either didn't know how to model a particular rule, or found that the expected behavior came more naturally from the advantages than from trying to model every modifier onto the skill description (some of these feel quite forced in the skill rules and are unnecessary when writing up the Abilities). These are "wild" Abilities; I didn't include any Power Modifier because they can suit a lot of sources. Some are quite specific, e.g. the "Trained By a Master" Abilities would likely take Chi or Biological Power Modifier and belong to some Body Control Power or some such, but it's not mandatory. Talents would in all cases cost 5 CP/lvl. You might notice I didn't follow strict alphabetical order when numbering modifiers; sometimes I put first the Modifier(s) that best defined the Ability and put the more "generic" ones behind, to make the writeup more readable. So, take a deep breath and let's jump. *Autohypnosis* spans three Alternate Abilities. One would buy Improve Concentration at full cost and the other two at 1/5. *Autohypnosis (Improve Concentration)* (-35%): Visualization (Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Will roll, -5%; Reduced Time 3, +60%; Specific (Only for sedate tasks), -30%; Temporary Disad: -2 IQ, -2 Per (Only for unrelated tasks, -10%), -45%; ) [7]. *Autohypnosis (Increase Will)* (-60%): +2 Will (Max Duration, 1 hour, -10%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Will roll, -5%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%) [4]. *Autohypnosis (Negate Pain/Fatigue)* (-80%) High Pain Threshold (Maximum Duration, 1 hour, -10%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Will roll, -5%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%; Takes Recharge, 1 hour, -30%) [3]. Notes:This one needs work. The Pain side is covered, but I don't know how to negate Fatigue. Maybe a FP pool equal to your HT that you can only tap when you're under 1/3 FP? Very Fit with Requires Attribute roll? *Blind Fighting* This is a Hard Technique of the relevant fighting skill, that defaults at skill -10 (the DM for total darkness), and that cannot exceed the base skill. *Body Control (Trance): Metabolism Control 5 (-80%) (Hibernation, -60%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%; Requires Concentrate, -15%) + Regeneration (-80%)(Regular; Only for poisons, -40%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires HT roll, -10%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%; ) [10]. Notes:* The Advantage writeup is much more elegant than the Skill in a number of ways: it includes the third power (use of the highest of skill and HT) naturally, through a Body Control Talent; and it also gives you a bonus to HT equal to the MC level to stop bleeding, etc. I like this one very much. *Breaking Blow: Crushing Attack 1d (+190%) (Armor divisor 5, +150%; Accessibility: only on braced, homogeneous, inanimate objects, -40%; Melee attack, -30%; Link, +10%; ST-based, +100%) [10] + Affliction 1 (-65%) (Fragile (Brittle), +15%; Accessibility: only on braced, homogeneous, inanimate objects, -40%; Accessibility: only for this one blow, -20%; Link, +10%; Melee attack, -30%) [5] Notes:* I don't quite like the Crushing Attack part. I don't know how to put an armor divisor on just the normal damage without adding a full-fledged Innate Attack on top of it. Other than that, the power follows the skill writeup quite closely. *Dreaming:* I'm not very sure, since the skill writeup is quite vague. I'd consider it a Talent (5pt/lvl) that applies to a Dreaming power, similar to the Dimension Travel or Astral Projection powers in *Powers. Enthrallment* is also a set of Alternate Abilities. They share several modifiers, which I have lumped together thusly: Enthrallment Ability (+80%): (Accesibility: Must speak for the whole activation time, -10%; Based on Will, +20%; Hearing-based, -20%; Malediction1 , +100%; Requires Public Speaking roll, -10%). *Captivate* (+90%): Affliction 1 (Gullible, +100%; Costs Fatigue 8, -40%; Enthrallment, +80%; Extended Duration, x100, +80%; Takes Extra Time 11, -110%; Terminal Condition (caster or subject fall unconscious), -20 %; Terminal Condition (caster attacks subject OR subject loses HP/2), -20%) [19]. *Persuade* (+30%): Talent (Smooth Operator) 2 (Costs Fatigue 2, -10%; Enthrallment, +80%; Switchable, +10%; Takes Extra TIme 6, -30%; Terminal Condition (Do something socially inapproppriate, -20%) [20]. Notes: I opted for Level 2 as a fixed level, rather than a variable level 1-3 based on the margin of success of the roll. I don't know how to implement the latter, althiught I'd very much like to. Any ideas here? *Suggest* (-5%): Affliction 1 (Obsession, +100%; Costs Fatigue 6, -30%; Maximum Duration, 10 min, -50%; Enthrallment, +80%; Selective (Only simple suggstions), -20%; Takes Extra Time 9, -90%; Variable, +5%) [10] *Sway Emotions* (-80%): Mind Control (Emotion Control -50%; Costs Fatigue 4, -20%; Enthrallment, +80%; Maximum Duration, 1 hour, -10%; Takes Extra Time 8, -80%) [10]. *Exorcism* (+70%): Affliction 1 (Negated Advantage, Possession +100%; Based on HT,+20%; Malediction 1, +100; Needs Skill Roll (Religious Ritual), -10%; Takes Extra Time 14, -140%) [17] Notes: Exorcism should Cost Fatigue, and lots of it. Besides, It would be better to make the possessing spirit to roll against Will than HT, for a +5% increase in cost. The above is how the skill is written up, but with my modifiers it makes much more sense. Also, there might be alternatives to implement Exorcism; an Intimidation Talent maybe? Flying Leap (-15%): Super Jump 2 (Costs Fatigue 1, -5%; Requires IQ roll, -10%) [17]. Notes: Why on Earth should you roll against IQ to jump? HT or Will are much more approppriate here. Also: how to factor in the negative DMs for lack of preparation? Unreliable with a mitigator (not after x seconds)? *Immovable Stance* (+30%): Insubstantiality (Can carry Heavy Encumbrance, +100%; Accessibility (only to counter knockback) -30%; Active Defense, -40%) [104]. *Invisibility Art* (-7%): Invisibility (Glamour, -50%; Can carry Heavy Encumbrance, +100%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Concentrate,-15%; Switchable, +10%; Takes Extra Time 1(mitigator: only to activate, not to maintain, -60%), -4%; Terminal Condition, being seen (mitigator: only for the ""seer",-20%), -18%; Mitigator (entering combat), -20%) [38]. Notes: I don't know how to model a) the single second before activating the power the first second only; b) the need to roll for detection every second. I opted for a hefty Mitigator to Takes Extra Time. Comments? Also, how to model all the modifiers for movement speed? Again, my best bet is Unreliable with mitigators, but I'm not sure. *Kiai* (+95%) Rapier Wit (Words of Power +100%, Costs Fatigue 1, -5%) [10]. *Light Walk* I'm stuck on this one. Walk on Air, with Cosmic (air allowed, +50%) and a very low ceiling? *Mental Strength: Static (Resistible, -50%) [-15%] Mind Block: I think this, or a functional equivalent, can be done with the Antipsi Power in the Basic Set. However, the description on p. B210 says it's a mundane skill, so maybe just a Talent for Antipsi is in order . . . Power Blow: +10 Striking ST (-25%) (Accesibility, only for the next melee strike, -20%; Requires WIll roll, -5%) [38]. Notes:* I don't like it. The skill writeup says "double your ST for damage purposes only", and I'm not sure that can be done. Instead I've used a flat +10 to ST for lack of anything better. I'd really like to hear from you people on this. *Pressure Points* Affliction 1 (+60%) (Choking, +100%; Accessibility (only for torso hits, -40%); Follow-up, melee attack, 0%) [16] + Affliction 1 (+50%) (Paralysis (Mitigator: only attacked limb -40%), 90%; Accessibility, only for limb hits, -40%) [15]. Notes: These are Alternate Attacks, with the second one getting the discount. I made up the Accessibilities for limbs and torso, by wild guesstimation. Are there canonical figures somewhere? *Pressure Secrets* Talons (-10%) (Accessibility, only after successfully striking in melee combat, -10%; Accessibility, only for that strike -10%; Requires IQ roll, -10%; Switchable, +10%) [7]; +10 Striking ST (-45%) (Requires Will Roll, -5%; Accessibility, only after a successful lock, -30%; Accessibility, only for the next attack, -10%) [33]. Notes: As before, these are Alternate Attacks. *Zen Archery* Talent (Bow) +4 (Requires IQ Roll, -10%) [18]. Notes: I'd prefer to use Will instead of IQ. So . . . what do you say? Cheers, M. __________________ Behind the Aegis - My dark fantasy setting in Classical Greece (discuss it here!). Conversion of the supernatural skills in the *Basic Set* to Powers. Last edited by Mercator; 01-17-2007 at 04:46 AM. Reason: Added Breaking Blow