Skogsrå

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Could be, although my own gut feeling is that your first category is the largest of the three.

It's highly cultural, shifts with fashion trends, and varies further with personal quirks. Gut feelings on these things tend to reflect personal interests and those of your immediate social circle (which in turn tend to reflect the local cultural bias).

Caucasian North America likes breasts more than anything if you believe Hollywood and advertisements, but that's certainly not the only point of view out there or we'd not have mini skirts, high-heels, and nylons still.

So, struggling to keep this on topic, the -20% might need adjustment if the game is mostly in one culture with a strong bias one way or the other.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Bruno

It's highly cultural, shifts with fashion trends, and varies further with personal quirks. Gut feelings on these things tend to reflect personal interests and those of your immediate social circle (which in turn tend to reflect the local cultural bias).

Caucasian North America likes breasts more than anything if you believe Hollywood and advertisements, but that's certainly not the only point of view out there or we'd not have mini skirts, high-heels, and nylons still.

So, struggling to keep this on topic, the -20% might need adjustment if the game is mostly in one culture with a strong bias one way or the other.

Eh... Sorry. I do tend to drift a bit. Maybe I'll start another thread relevant to the topic of directionally-limited appearance.

Regarding AK's creature: I wonder if maybe there should be a conditional negative appearance [obviously, this would only matter to those not turned to stone]? Such disparity in looks is sometimes indicative of a glamour, though I have no idea if that's what is going on in this case.

[Kuroshima]

The -20% directional limitation was taken considering that an ability that works in 50% of the situations has a -20% accessibility limitation, as per Powers p. 99.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

The -20% directional limitation was taken considering that an ability that works in 50% of the situations has a -20% accessibility limitation, as per Powers p. 99.

Yeah, but it's not clear to me from AK's description what is going on in certain circumstances around the viewing circle. What happens if you look at it from the side? Do you still see the Transcendentally beautiful nymph, the Afflicting tree-like creature, or half of each? Does the Affliction victim get a bonus to resist based on viewing angle, or does he suffer a normal attempt as long as he is behind the virtual right-left axis?

Caveat: I tend to over think these things sometimes.

[Dunadin777]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

The -20% directional limitation was taken considering that an ability that works in 50% of the situations has a -20% accessibility limitation, as per Powers p. 99.

I wouldn't give much of a limitation bonus for being directional, if at all, because of what the back represents. It represents total control and passive utility of the power--she's virtually impossible to sneak up on, and you'll be dazzled by her beauty from the front. If approaching her from the front with ill intent, she could turn her back as part of an Active Defense and turn you to stone that way.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Yeah, but it's not clear to me from AK's description what is going on in certain circumstances around the viewing circle. What happens if you look at it from the side? Do you still see the Transcendentally beautiful nymph, the Afflicting tree-like creature, or half of each? Does the Affliction victim get a bonus to resist based on viewing angle, or does he suffer a normal attempt as long as he is behind the virtual right-left axis?

Caveat: I tend to over think these things sometimes.

She sounds like a few other similar "nymphs" or "forest spirits" or what-have you from the region (the words do not translate easily to English).

The one I'm familiar with says that she is a beautiful woman from the front, but when you go around her you see she is a one-sided, hollow, wooden shell, like an animated full-body mask. But that version doesn't give you the petrification effect that I know of, so the illusion of being a real (naked) woman only holds from the direct front and the hunter/traveler/whatever usually escapes.

Fairy-tales rarely come with chances for side views and detailed explanations of how a 360 rotation would work :)

I'm (ironically) split 50/50 on how I'd handle it:
* inflict half petrification/paralysis/insanity down one side of the victims body (depending on what you blast the poor victim with). Yes, half his body goes crazy if you go with a Terror instead of petrification, there'd probably be an Army of Darkness moment or two.
* like lenticular holograms, you see one, or the other, never both. Which means a survivor may not put 2 and 2 together and realize the beautiful nymph and the horror are the same creature.

[Anders]

Yeah, she's the Scandinavian version of the forest nymph, the dangerous creature that lures lonely men to their deaths. There are also bergsrå (mountain nymph) and sjörå (sea nymph). This was taken seriously; in 1691 a man was sentenced to death for having had sex with a bergsrå. It's a genius locii - rå means "take care of", watch over, guard".

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by Dunadin777

I wouldn't give much of a limitation bonus for being directional, if at all, because of what the back represents. It represents total control and passive utility of the power--she's virtually impossible to sneak up on, and you'll be dazzled by her beauty from the front. If approaching her from the front with ill intent, she could turn her back as part of an Active Defense and turn you to stone that way.

Agreed. She has two abilities--look mess-with-your-head hot and turn you to stone--she decides which one is on. Maybe a slight negaitive modifier because if she's held or pinned, she can't switch between these abilities. But that isn't true of many abilities which don't get points for a limitation.

[Anders]

Maybe even buying them as Alternate Abilities?

[Dunadin777]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Maybe even buying them as Alternate Abilities?

I was going to suggest that, but can you use alternate abilities in the same turn? As described, I think this particular beastie can do just that, since she could potentially use an Acrobatic Dodge (or similar) to turn her back to face an enemy and turn back around to face them all at once. What sort of defense, if any, would the victim get for that, anyways?