Cheap Useful Abilities

[johndallman]

Night Vision 9 [9]. It doesn't need limitations, although it will usually come with a power modifier.

[johndallman]

History of an object: Psychometry, Costs Fatigue (+2) -10%, Immediate Preparation Required (10 minutes) -45%, Magical -10%, Reliable (+2) +10%, Sensitive +30%, Takes Recharge (1 hour) -30%. [9]

Sensitive (Powers p. 69) means you get the uneventful history of the object as well as emotionally charged events.

The power has enough limitations that you have to be careful about using it when there's a deadline, but it wrecks many ways of disguising a crime scene and often answers "What's going on here?" questions. It speeds up detective work without making it trivial, and Immediate Preparation Required means that the GM is not required to give you "vibes," allowing fellow-PCs to retain their secrets.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

With No Signature, it is invisible and inaudible, meaning that the only evidence of its existence is the fact that it tosses people left and right and that it can parry attacks with no chance of harm to its user on a success defense (the power weapon could parry a light sabre without suffering harm).

Still, it is a melee weapon, you have to stand close to the target, and *something* lets him actively defend at no special penalties (avoiding active defenses is a much, much bigger enhancement than No Signature), so he knows which direction the attack came from. Your target is going to be pretty certain you attacked him, and unless there is a lot of other confusion going on around him, most other observers will agree with him, even if they didn't quite catch how you did it. I wouldn't say No Signature is useless on a melee attack, but it lacks the sort of plausible deniability you'd get with a ranged one.

[Gnome]

Rapier Wit is ridiculously underpriced. Add Words of Power to get rid of the worst restrictions and for 10 points you’ve got a powerful Affliction that you can use as a free action. Now that’s a bargain!

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Not at all, with an Innate Attack with Melee, you usually only have to touch or tap someone because it is effectively a power weapon (a touch or a tap is as effective as a punch or a kick). Without No Signature though, the power weapon is visible and audible, similar to a light sabre from Star Wars. With No Signature, it is invisible and inaudible, meaning that the only evidence of its existence is the fact that it tosses people left and right ...

Are you saying that a normal Innate Attack (Melee Only) is constantly visible, and not just at the moment of attack? I'm pretty sure that just like other IA's, or any other power for that matter, it's only visible when it's used, i.e. when you make your attack roll. Although for attacks that require Ready, you could argue they're visible during charge-up.

To be constantly visible like a light sabre, you'd need some form of Nuisance Effect or even Unnatural Appearance.

Otherwise, as malloyd said, your target would be aware of you trying to touch him, and of the effect when you did touch him. So he knows who attacked him and what it does, negating any No Sig benefit. However, it would be useful if your character is invisible.

[Donny Brook]

Get Stinking Rich Quick (Intuition (Cosmic: No die roll +100%, Aspected: public market trading -20%, Immediate Preparation Required (10 minutes) -45%, Trigger (must make a trade with your own money) -20%, Environmental (Indoors) -10%, Accessibility: requires computer trading platform -40%, Nuisance (flatulence) -5%, Net -40%) [9]

Make a guaranteed successful market trade every 10 minutes, if you can stand yourself.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Get Stinking Rich Quick
- Aspected: public market trading -20%
- Accessibility: requires computer trading platform -40%

This seems like double-dipping - it's almost a given that public trading is done on a computer.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Get Stinking Rich Quick (Intuition (Cosmic: No die roll +100%, Aspected: public market trading -20%, Immediate Preparation Required (10 minutes) -45%, Trigger (must make a trade with your own money) -20%, Environmental (Indoors) -10%, Accessibility: requires computer trading platform -40%, Nuisance (flatulence) -5%, Net -40%) [9]

Make a guaranteed successful market trade every 10 minutes, if you can stand yourself.

Hey, one point to remove flatulence is a worthy price. Great idea though.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

This seems like double-dipping - it's almost a given that public trading is done on a computer.

Lots of people still trade by calling in to a brokerage. But I don't think it's double dipping anyway since both restraints apply. If you consider them lumped together, the pricing for whichever one your retain should reflect the effective impairment of the trait.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

Are you saying that a normal Innate Attack (Melee Only) is constantly visible, and not just at the moment of attack? I'm pretty sure that just like other IA's, or any other power for that matter, it's only visible when it's used, i.e. when you make your attack roll. Although for attacks that require Ready, you could argue they're visible during charge-up.

To be constantly visible like a light sabre, you'd need some form of Nuisance Effect or even Unnatural Appearance.

Otherwise, as malloyd said, your target would be aware of you trying to touch him, and of the effect when you did touch him. So he knows who attacked him and what it does, negating any No Sig benefit. However, it would be useful if your character is invisible.

Powers (p. 113) under Cosmetic Effects states that attacks without Low or No Signature are obvious, meaning that any observer notices them without a sense roll. In the case of a melee attack, this would apply when it is ready to attack or parry. A light sabre is obvious when it is ready to attack or parry because it glows and makes a noise.