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Old 07-30-2017, 07:32 AM   #1
johndallman
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Default [Psionic Powers] Levitation's maintainance rolls

The Infinite Cabal party need to do some high-altitude flying. They don't know how high, or for how long (distance and time are difficult concepts on the Inner Astral plane, even if they knew where they were going).

The party's sole psionic has Levitation (Psionic Powers p55) and skill 16, but the requirement to roll every minute when there may well be nowhere around to land for miles in every direction has him worried. He's the party's utility flier, and wants to retain that position without getting killed.

Levitation is built off Flight with Requires IQ Roll (-10%). The player reckons buying that off entirely is breaking the Psionic Powers framework, and as GM I agree. Walk on Air (Psionic Powers p57) says no skill is needed, which seems a bit inconsistent.

Buying Extended Duration (B.105) to extend the time between rolls would be one way to solve the problem. Can anyone suggest others?
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:44 AM   #2
Maz
 
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers]Levitation's maintainance rolls

I would buy Extended duration as well. I can't really think of other options either.
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:48 AM   #3
Nereidalbel
 
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers]Levitation's maintainance rolls

Does the Astral Plane in this setting even have a concept of gravity? If not, Levitation may just be useful for propelling yourself in the direction of your choice, with a failed roll resulting in just travelling in whatever direction you were going until a successful roll. Or, you could end up stopping dead in your tracks. GM's choice.
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:54 AM   #4
johndallman
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers]Levitation's maintainance rolls

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Originally Posted by Nereidalbel View Post
Does the Astral Plane in this setting even have a concept of gravity?
It has something that at least behaves like gravity.
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Old 07-30-2017, 08:09 AM   #5
Maz
 
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers]Levitation's maintainance rolls

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
It has something that at least behaves like gravity.
To where are you then falling? Can't he just recast levitation again? Especially if he has 2d seconds of floating before falling.
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Old 07-30-2017, 09:19 AM   #6
johndallman
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers]Levitation's maintainance rolls

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Originally Posted by Maz View Post
To where are you then falling?
This would take several hundred words to describe. But there's either hard ground, or falling into a random and unknown material plane.
Quote:
Can't he just recast levitation again? Especially if he has 2d seconds of floating before falling.
Psionics has skill penalties on repeated attempts. It gets dangerous.
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Old 07-30-2017, 09:48 AM   #7
sir_pudding
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers] Levitation's maintainance rolls

Treat noncombat travel flight as routine, and not require rolls at all (but probably assess FP for long term use). This is the same logic that keeps airliners from crashing all the time in GURPS.

Or buy up skill high enough and take a No Nuisance Rolls perk for travel flight.
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Old 07-30-2017, 10:05 AM   #8
sir_pudding
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers] Levitation's maintainance rolls

Why not make a technique based on Extended Duration?
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Old 07-30-2017, 10:15 AM   #9
Kelly Pedersen
 
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers] Levitation's maintainance rolls

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Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Why not make a technique based on Extended Duration?
That's what I'd do. I wouldn't allow this on just any psionic power, of course, but on something like Levitation, based on a movement power, it seems like it wouldn't be unbalanced. Here's how I'd write it up:

Long-Distance Flight
Hard
Default: Levitation-2; Cannot exceed Levitation.

You learn how to mentally maintain your flight with less effort, allowing considerably longer-duration travel. You must only make a roll to sustain your Levitation ability once every 3 minutes, rather than once per minute. Unlike most psi techniques, you only need to pay the FP to maintain this one at the same time you roll to maintain Levitation, rather than every minute.
For an extra penalty (which can be bought off), you can sustain your Levitation for even longer: -2 for 10 minutes, -4 for 30 minutes, -6 for 100 minutes, and -8 for 300 minutes.
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Old 07-30-2017, 10:24 AM   #10
johndallman
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Default Re: [Psionic Powers] Levitation's maintainance rolls

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Why not make a technique based on Extended Duration?
Now, that makes some sense. x30 is +60%, so the Extended Duration technique penalty for it would be -6. Buying that back up to skill level costs 7 points. If you'd bought that, you could use x3, x10, or x30 at full skill, x100 at -2 to skill, x300 at -4, and so on. The 2FP cost still applies, since that's unchangeable.

It conflicts with the description on p8 of Psionic Powers, but that's explanation of how normal techniques work, rather than rules as such, AFAICS.
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