Static Question

[Coinage]

Here’s what I have so far. How is it?

Any human being with a “Mundane Background”:

Neutralize: Magic (B71; Powers 97) [50]
-Area Effect:16 yards (B102) [+200%]
-Emanation (B112) [-20%]
-Power Modifier: Magic (B34) [-10%]
-Reflexive (Power-Ups 8, p. 16). [+40%]
-Sense-Based, Reversed: All senses Power-Ups 8, p. 17). [+350%]
-Unconscious Only (B115) [-20%]
-Uncontrollable Trigger (Power-Ups 8, p. 19)

Yes, this does mean that the ability is mana dependent. I was inspired by the Beyond the Supernatural RPG.

The idea is that every magical creature has Dependency: Mana – Rare - Constant.

Each magical creature also has “Mana Enhancer” or “Wild Mana Generator”, both of which will have the “Magical” power modifier.

I was wondering, is there any way to crank up the damage for Dependency so that the person with Dependency suffers 1HP per second when they are without their substance?

[Coinage]

Originally Posted by Plane

You could also do something like "Temporary Disadvantage: Total Amnesia, retroactive" so that people who successfully use this to erase the mana causing a magical effect will forge that they saw the magical effect.

I decided to forgo humans automatically forgetting seeing the fantastical. First, it's not in accord with real-life. I don't want to go into a long rant, but see the TVTropes article "Masquerade Paradox" for my issues with the way most Urban Fantasy settings handle the masquerade.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Coinage

Yes, this does mean that the ability is mana dependent. I was inspired by the Beyond the Supernatural RPG.

Dunno the source :/ If it makes sense to you, then go for it, but I would not recommend taking an anti-magic ability with the Magic powmod. The "which takes precedence?" arguments alone are enough to scare me away. Following the guidelines in Powers, I'd go with an Anti-Magic (+0%) Power Modifier, possibly renamed to Mundane.

[AlexanderHowl]

Does the average person actual have the Mundane disadvantage though? The vast majority of people believe in the supernatural and the majority of them claim to have experienced the supernatural. The problem is that most of their paradigms are contradictory, so it is impossible for everyone to be correct.

[Coinage]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Dunno the source :/ If it makes sense to you, then go for it, but I would not recommend taking an anti-magic ability with the Magic powmod. The "which takes precedence?" arguments alone are enough to scare me away. Following the guidelines in Powers, I'd go with an Anti-Magic (+0%) Power Modifier, possibly renamed to Mundane.

That's a good point. How about this?

Here’s what I have so far. How is it?

Any human being with a “Mundane Background”:

Neutralize: Magic (B71; Powers 97) [50]
-Area Effect:16 yards (B102) [+200%]
-Emanation (B112) [-20%]
-Power Modifier: Anti-Magic (Powers 122) [-0%]
-Reflexive (Power-Ups 8, p. 16). [+40%]
-Sense-Based, Reversed: All senses Power-Ups 8, p. 17). [+350%]
-Unconscious Only (B115) [-20%]
-Uncontrollable Trigger: Presence of magic / mana (Power-Ups 8, p. 19)

Obviously, this can be tampered with in order to create different types of Mundanes. I was also thinking that Illuminated mundane humans w/out magic could learn to control this, creating the possibilities of Hunters and so forth. How about this?

I'm thinking about modifying this so that this ability doesn't work when the Mundane is in a trance (I'm thinking something like Auto-Trance). This allows Magicals to recruit mundanes, and even Illuminate them if necessary. It also allows for Magicals to turn Mundanes into Magicals. Just some thoughts I'm spitballing.

[Coinage]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Does the average person actual have the Mundane disadvantage though? The vast majority of people believe in the supernatural and the majority of them claim to have experienced the supernatural. The problem is that most of their paradigms are contradictory, so it is impossible for everyone to be correct.

That is a very good point. Here's my own thinking.

When I use the "Mundane Background", I specifically refer to those ordinary humans who suspectible to the Façade, as described in Christopher Rice's article "Mask of Humanity" in Pyramid 3/97. The idea is that the Magicals, not wanting to get messed up with the humans anti-magic, have generated a "facade" to help protect them from exposure. So, there are 2 types of "mundane" humans: Illuminated and Non-Illuminated (or "Vanilla" as Dresden Files refers to them). Obviously, Non-Illuminated may have an idea of the existence of Magicals, and may even catch glimpses, but so long as they are under the power of the Façade, the Magicals remain Unobservable entities.

Illuminated humans, those with the "Illuminated" advantage", are those who are immune to the Façade, but retain their anti-magic powers. These are very dangerous to the Magicals. However, these are few and far between. To ordinary mortals, who can't see the Magicals, a lot of Illuminated Mundanes are crazy, schizophrenic serial killers.

[Coinage]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

What sort of magic system are you using? That would further determine any advice I might give on how to replicate this effect.

Right now I'm thinking of using the idea of Channeling Spirits. I'm also considering using a derivation of Ritual Path Magic, combined with Ritual Powers from Pyramid 3/66 so that people can convert RPM spells into Advantages if they want.

I'm giving the option for characters to use Compartmentalized Mind [50] (B43), w/ No Mental Separation [-20%] (Psionic Powers 13; Mart Arts - Yrth Fighting Styles 22), Limited, Magic Only [-10%] (Mart Arts - Yrth Fighting Styles 22).