Rules you ignore/alter.

[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The main problem with costs fp per minute is that it means the power will normally be turned off at the start of a combat, such as a surprise situation, which is worth more than -5% all by itself.

That's a separate issue. For passive abilities that want to be on in situations you are unaware of when they protect you, I think it does make sense to give them a 'Normally Off' limitation to make up for it (Thanks Anthony!). Okay, new house rule; Advantages that want to always be on to actually work (such as DR, Sealed, Danger Sense, etc) you can either take that limitation to need to activate it OR you can 'retroactively' spend FP to turn it on when something would affect you (Danger Sense would not allow the choice which might need a further limitation).

However, I don't require a maneuver to turn any advantage on that doesn't already have one and in fact use either Takes Extra Time or Requires Switching On (-5%) to add that it. If your Burning Attack has Costs 1fp/min and nothing else, you can spend the FP on your first turn of combat and attack with it right away.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Which seems wrong. I'd probably add a limitation like

'Normally Off' (-20%): only for passive advantages that by default can be left active continually with no penalties. The ability can be assumed to be off in any unexpected situation, and will thus require activation. The GM may require additional limitations that justify why the PC normally leaves it off.

I think probably you'd use Maximum Duration to create an inability to have it on at all times.

Another option is "accessibility: while conscious" (PU8p5) which is -5%

It's for switchable not transient so the only attacks I think you could get it for would be auras since that changes it up.

In cases where Burning Attack (melee) is "I'm holding a scary flaming sword" or Burning Attack (ranged) is "I'm holding a scary fireball" I kinda like the idea of assuming "while conscious" being built into it where you just need a concentrate maneuver to turn on the "ability to attack, where you are obviously holding a weapon" which you could then maintain indefinitely until losing consciousness.

Then if you wanted the "I'm never seen holding firesword/fireball it just appears the instant I want to parry/attack with it" you could just take "reduced time" to get rid of the concentrate maneuver so you could activate/deactivate with a free aciton.

If you need to activate on another's turn (parry when it's off) or deactivate on another's turn (someone threw a kitten at my sword and my arm is grappled so I can't dodge it, the only way to save the kitten is to vanish my sword!) then a power dodge to use your free action on another's turn sounds right.

But i guess if not taking that approach it might be considered a 0pt feature to spcify your attack working either way, where "I have a visible weapon" is considered to have balancing benefits (intimidate enemies) and drawbacks (attract enemies) but that still seems kinda weird.

Especially since you can take switchable on stuff like claws/teeth which aren't that far off from innate attacks. "While conscious" is probably a cheaper way to get switchability on those... unlike DR they aren't particularly useful when knocked out. If anything, your weapons vanishing when you go unconscious could help make you blend in and not seem unusual.

[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by Plane

But i guess if not taking that approach it might be considered a 0pt feature to spcify your attack working either way, where "I have a visible weapon" is considered to have balancing benefits (intimidate enemies) and drawbacks (attract enemies) but that still seems kinda weird.

I think you already are allowed to choose whether or not it's out with an otherwise unmodified Melee IA. I think you can have a 'flaming sword' be 'on' to give off light as a torch while also being able to hide it if you aren't attacking or defending with it.

[Mark Skarr]

Another thing I change is Gunner skills. I usually allow/require Gunner skills for a vehicle type/class. Being as you don't directly interact with the weapons, it's more about learning the interactions of the targeting system. So Gunner (BattleMech) is a thing, as are Gunner (Starship) and Gunner (Aerospace) as just examples.

Gunner (PPC) wouldn't be used to fire a PPC from a Panther 'Mech, but it would be used to fire a man-portable PPC or a static, emplaced PPC.

Oh, and it's Pilot (BattleMech), not Drive (BattleMech). It's just semantics--you don't drive a 'Mech, you pilot one.

[Aldric]

I also find it slightly unfair that on passive abilities, a - 5% costs fatigue turns an always on advantage into something that needs to be activated and that now lasts a minute, greatly reducing the uptime of the power and its usefulness in emergency situations.

I either don't use Costs Fatigue, or go all out and then have a way to regain that fatigue.
I only consider it viable when there is no other way to get a power, say a world of mundanes where you introduce Sorcery.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

Oh, and it's Pilot (BattleMech), not Drive (BattleMech). It's just semantics--you don't drive a 'Mech, you pilot one.

I think of it as being more that you ride a mech, just as one doesn't drive a motorcycle but rather one rides it. If it's small enough to be considered a battlesuit one wears a mech, of course.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

I think you already are allowed to choose whether or not it's out with an otherwise unmodified Melee IA. I think you can have a 'flaming sword' be 'on' to give off light as a torch while also being able to hide it if you aren't attacking or defending with it.

Even if it were a free action to summon/dispel it, that at least could perhaps require something equivalent to a power dodge to do that on another's turn, like to get it up to parry with it when it's gone.

[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by Plane

Even if it were a free action to summon/dispel it, that at least could perhaps require something equivalent to a power dodge to do that on another's turn, like to get it up to parry with it when it's gone.

If you have a Burning IA with Melee and suddenly you get attacked out of nowhere but (say) succeeded a Danger Sense check, there's nothing I see that doesn't allow you to defend with your flame sword. And it's not out of genre to be able to 'keep it out' while walking through a dark cave or collapsed building. I can see the latter requiring a perk (in effect, actually buying the Accessory: Light perk) which would give you all the upsides of always having the sword out as long as you want.

For your suggestion I'd likely slap on a Nuisance Effect for needing a double parry if you haven't 'drawn' your sword (although personally I've instead had the player use Fast Draw to get it out).

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

Oh, and it's Pilot (BattleMech), not Drive (BattleMech). It's just semantics--you don't drive a 'Mech, you pilot one.

However, whether it's Drive or Pilot does matter for Talents. Make Mech a Pilot Skill and you've just made the Hot Pilot talent an even better deal for a Mech game. This probably doesn't bother me but it would be important to keep track of.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

If you have a Burning IA with Melee and suddenly you get attacked out of nowhere but (say) succeeded a Danger Sense check, there's nothing I see that doesn't allow you to defend with your flame sword. And it's not out of genre to be able to 'keep it out' while walking through a dark cave or collapsed building. I can see the latter requiring a perk (in effect, actually buying the Accessory: Light perk) which would give you all the upsides of always having the sword out as long as you want.

For your suggestion I'd likely slap on a Nuisance Effect for needing a double parry if you haven't 'drawn' your sword (although personally I've instead had the player use Fast Draw to get it out).

Fast Draw is for reducing something requiring a ready to a free action, but I still think that has to be done at the start of your turn?

To allow a free-action thing to be done on another's turn that sounds like a power dodge. Not sure if fast-draw can do that to parry with undrawn weapon?