[Powers] Nearly Ordinary

[AlexanderHowl]

Absorption allows for a form of healing for the character, as well as allowing them to minorly improve their capabilities. Cinematic heroes always have some way to get out of a bind after they have suffered damage, and it is often some form of unlikely skill. For example, a character with Fortitude 4 suffers 12 points of damage from a pistol, resulting in 8 points and 4 points of damage, the 8 points could be dropped into any skill that would allow them to survive or to heal the 4 points of damage.

An alternative would be to have Fortitude being DR 2 (Heroism, -10%; Tough Skin, -40%) [5]. A character with 5 levels ends up shrugging off substantial amounts of damage during an emergency, and it would just cost 25 CP. While it is less versatile, it is less complicated and gives better overall protection.

[Gef]

Cool, but I wonder why Daredevil's not included.

Also, I notice that the write-up of Lucky Satchel shares a lot of similarities with Gizmo, but it's far pricier, which would affect my decision to take it if I were a player.

-GEF

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Gef

Cool, but I wonder why Daredevil's not included.

Daredevil pretty explicitly has a superpower.

[Engurrand]

AlexanderHowl suggested a Fortune trait that includes luck, serendipity, and daredevil. I like it.

Lucky Satchel offers two advantages over gizmo(s).
1: You can put things into it. This means you don't have to track encumbrance for objects below 5 lbs. That is A Big Deal.
2: There is no limit on the number of items you can draw from the bag. It's not a once-a-session thing. It's a bag of holding.

With a lucky satchel, you can carry with you a number of grenades, reloads, bauble-sized artifacts, books, cooking utensils, and changes of clothing limited only by your ability to acquire them.

A GM who wants to limit your bottomless supply bag should consider Payload, with similar limitations. Which, now I think about it, would probably be a better way to do it.

[AlexanderHowl]

I think that Lucky Satchel would be better modeled as Modular Abilities (Heroism, -10%; Limited, Small Signature Gear Only, -50%; Social, +0%) [4 CP/level]. With one turn of searching in the Lucky Satchel, you can find any one possible object (or one set of possible objects) with a value up to 50% of your starting wealth per level during an emergency. In the case of consumables, multiply their effective cost by 5, with the assumption that you replace them as needed between adventures. When the emergency ends, the object runs out of ammunition or power, falls to pieces, etc.

[Engurrand]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Modular Abilities (Heroism, -10%; Limited, Small Signature Gear Only, -50%; Social, +0%) [4 CP/level]. snip.

That's... very interesting. The ability to, in the moment, make up new gear that you 'were carrying all along' is usually modeled with Gizmo. Considering that your build is cheaper than a single Gizmo and also considerably more functional, I'm not sure I would allow it, even if I weren't a big devotee of PK's House-rule for Sig Gear and Spending Points on Money.

What I was going for with lucky satchel was less about always having the perfect tool for the job and more about letting the player bend or break free of the encumbrance rules. Admittedly, Lucky Satchel as written would give any PC with Wealth an essentially bottomless supply pool. That's not really what I was after. There aught to be a limitation to the bounds of plausible suspension of disbelief.

Gismo (and your build) are traits that let a player forget, or not care, what to bring with them on an adventure; cutting back on the need to plan. A super-gizmo is Foresight, and both would definitely be at home in this power!

Most of the players at my various tables don't enjoy inventory management very much, and they therefor don't do it. Neither I as a GM nor the other GM's I play with care to muster enough side-eye to force sullen players to do their chores before they get their candy. This is a game, after all. We want everyone to have fun. But I personally love inventory management. I think the bang of a grenade saving the day is all the sweeter when I know it's the one grenade I could fit in my pack, and despite numerous injury and desperation shaped incentives to leave it behind, I didn't.

So what I want to model is not an advantage to grant a swiss-army-knife with infinite tools, but rather some leveled advantage that lets you bypass some of the book-keeping. If players at my table could buy a trait to let them manage their inventory like a Skyrim inventory, they would do it.

Here's my take 2:

Lucky Satchel [12/30/50]
This is a leather messenger bag weighing 3 lbs, with 3 dr and 10 hit points. While you carry it, you may not wear another pack or similar, this one replaces other load carrying gear. It can hold anything that might reasonably fit inside - letters, camping gear, weapons etc are all fine. The total weight cannot exceed your heavy encumbrance, but the bag always weighs 3 lbs no matter how much is in it. At level one, it takes 1d6 seconds to retrieve something from the bag. At level 2, it takes one second, or a suitable fast-draw roll. At level 3, the load limit increases to your extra-heavy encumbrance. Note that this does not effect your armor and held weapons, since they're not in the satchel.
Payload 60 (Accessibility (No other packs) (+1);
Gadget/Breakable: DR 3-5; Gadget/Breakable: Size -3 or -4; Gadget/Can
Be Stolen: Thief must win a Quick Contest of DX or ST; Gadget/Unique) [12]. At level 2 add Reduced Time 2. At Level Three increase Payload to 100.

[Gef]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I think that Lucky Satchel would be better modeled as Modular Abilities (Heroism, -10%; Limited, Small Signature Gear Only

I like that and might steal it. FYI for actual supers - robots or cyborgs - I use Modular Ability (Accessory Perks only) to model a range of built-in tools.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by Gef

I like that and might steal it. FYI for actual supers - robots or cyborgs - I use Modular Ability (Accessory Perks only) to model a range of built-in tools.

Thank you. I find that it is a better version of the 'utility belt' than most builds (the utility belt version usually has Limited Uses as well). With Costs FP, it can also represent magical spells that summon objects rather than creatures.

[Donny Brook]

I like these ideas.

Here's a couple I thought of:

Sucker Blow

This is for characters who interrupt a villian's long-winded threats with a sudden punch in the face, or for ninjas who slice open a throat while everyone just stands around staring, or for evil bosses who backhand an incompetent minion across the room before he can dodge, etc.

Level One:

ETS (45) (Accessibility: Only to throw a Targetted Attack -50%, Maximum Duration (<30s) -75%, Reduced Time 1 (instant activation) +20%, Net -105%, Capped at -80%) [9]

Additional Levels:

Speed +X (25X) (Accessibility: Only to throw a Targetted Attack -50%, Maximum Duration (<30s) -75%, Reduced Time 1 (instant activation) +20%, Net -105%, Capped at -80%) [5]



Dogged Pursuit

This power is for those chase scenes when the runner just cannot seem to escape from a cop or agent or hero who seems to always know which way to turn even when he runs down into a subway or through the back of a restaurant, and the hero has an amazing way of figuring out how to get ahead of the target and bring him down.

Level 1 [9]:

Detect (Rare: Pursuit Targets)(5) (Reduced Time 1 (instantaneous) +20%, Long Range (Long Distance Mods) +50%, Net +70% [9]


Level 2 [8]:

Intuition (Accessibility: Only to pick shortcuts to intercept fleeing targets -80%, Reliable 4 +20%, Net -60%) [6] plus Move+1 (only when chasing a fleeing target -60%) [2]


Level 3 [8]:

Higher Purpose (chase down fleeing targets) [5] plus Terrain Adaptation (chose one) (Only when chasing a fleeing target -60%) [2] plus Schtick: Implacable Pursuer (Intimidation) [1]


Level 4 [8]:

Enhanced Move +1 (Only when chasing a fleeing target -60%, Max Duration 1 minute -65%, Net capped at -80%) [4] plus four CP in Techniques chosen among: Acrobatic Stand, Attack from Above, Breakfall, Handcuffing, Sweep, Trip, Combination Slam (Incl. Flying Tackle)+Grapple [4]


Level 5 [8]:

Add Precise +100% to Detect [5] plus add additional Reliable 4 to Intuition [3]


Related lenses:

Level A [9]:

Afflict (10) (Move+1 +50%, Accessibility (only conveyances (vehicles/mounts) transporting you in a pursuit) -60%, Net -10% [9]


Level B [18]:

Afflict (10) (Enhanced Move+1 +200%, Accessibility (only conveyances (vehicles/mounts) transporting you in a pursuit) -60%, Max Duration (1 minute) -65%, Net +75% [18]

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Sucker Blow

This is for characters who interrupt a villian's long-winded threats with a sudden punch in the face, or for ninjas who slice open a throat while everyone just stands around staring, or for evil bosses who backhand an incompetent minion across the room before he can dodge, etc.

At least the first of those doesn't require any kind of fancy powers. Just enough insight into Tactics skill to qualify for a default roll.